University  of  California. 

<iIK-|-    <>*< 


NOTES 


ON 


THE  BOOK  or  LEVITICUS. 


[UNIVERSITr 

'All  scripture  isQtwn  fry  mspfration  of  God." 


(2  Tim.  iii.  16.) 


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PEEFATOEY  NOTE 

TO   THE   AMERICAN  EDITION 


A  S  several  persons  in  America  have,  without  any  au- 
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THF. 

UNIVERSITY 


TX  the  Person  and  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  there 
is  an  infinite  fullness,  which  meets  every  necessity  of 
man,  both  as  a  sinner  and  as  a  worshiper.  The  infinite 
dignity  of  His  Person  gives  eternal  value  to  His  work.  In 
the  book  of  Genesis  we  have  seen  "God's  remedy  for 
man's  ruin"  in  the  promised  seed — the  Ark  of  Salvation, 
and  in  the  rich  unfoldings  of  divine  grace  to  fallen  and 
sinful  man.  There  we  have  the  Bud,  the  full-blown  glories 
and  fragrance  of  which  shall  yet  fill  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  with  joy  and  gladness. 

In  the  book  of  Exodus  we  have  seen  "  God's  answer  to 
man's  question."  There,  man  is  not  only  outside  of  Eden, 
but  he  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  cruel  and  powerful 
enemy, — he  is  the  bond-slave  of  the  world.  How  is  he  to 
be  delivered  from  Pharaoh's  thraldom — from  Egypt's  fur- 
nace ?  How  can  he  be  redeemed,  justified,  and  brought 
into  the  promised  land  ?  God  only  could  answer  such 
questions,  and  this  He  did  in  the  blood  of  the  slain  Lamb. 
In  the  redemption-power  of  that  blood,  every  question  is 
settled.  It  meets  Heaven's  highest  claims,  and  man's 
deepest  necessities.  Through  its  amazing  efficacy,  God 
is  glorified,  man  is  redeemed,  saved,  justified,  and  brought 
to  God's  holy  habitation;  while  the  enemy  is  completely 
overthrown,  and  his  power  destroyed. 

And  now,  in  our  meditations  on  the  book  of  Leviticus, 
we  find  most  fully  unfolded  what  we  may  call,  "God's 
provision  for  man's  need;"  or,  a  Sacrifice,  a  Priest,  and 
a  Place  of  Worship.  These  are  essentially  necessary  in 
drawing  near  unto  God,  as  this  book  most  abundantly 


VI  PREFACE. 

proves.  But  every  thing  therewith  connected  was  ap- 
pointed by  God,  and  established  by  His  law.  Nothing  was 
left  to  be  supplied  by  man's  fertile  imagination,  or  his 
prudential  arrangement. — "  So  Aaron  and  his  son's  did  all 
things  which  the  Lord  commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses." 
(Chap.  viii.  3G;  ix.  6,  7.)  Without  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
neither  priest  nor  people  could  take  a  single  step  in  the 
right  direction.  It  is  so  still.  There  is  not  a  single  ray  of 
light  in  this  dark  world  but  that  which  is  shed  from  holy 
Scripture. — "Thy  Word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet,  and  a 
light  unto  my  path."  (Ps.  cxix.  105.)  It  is  truly  happy 
when  the  children  of  God  so  honor  His  Word  as  to  be  guided 
by  it  in  all  things.  We  need  now,  as  much  as  the  Jew  did 
then,  divine  direction  and  divine  guidance  for  acceptable 
worship.  "But  the  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the 
true  worshipers  shall  worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in 
truth;  for  the  Father  seeketh  such  to  worship  Him." 
(John  iv.  23,  24.)  More  than  sincerity  or  devoutness  of 
feeling  is  required  in  the  children's  worship :  it  must  be 
in  the  unction  of  the  Spirit,  and  according  to  the  truth  of 
God.  But  we  have  all  (blessed  be  His  name!)  in  the 
Person  and  work  of  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus.  He  is  both 
our  Sacrifice  and  Priest,  and  our  right  of  entrance  into 
the  holiest  of  "all.  O,  to  be  kept  near  to  His  wounded 
side,  and  in  the  abiding  sense  that  He  is  the  ground,  the 
material,  and  the  sweet  incense  of  all  our  worship  ! 

Let  us  now  briefly  notice  the  three  points  already  men- 
tioned. 

I.  In  the  first  place,  we  would  observe  that  sacrifice  is 
the  basis  of  worship.  Acceptable  worship  to  God  must  be 
based  on  a  sacrifice  acceptable  to  Him.  Man  being  in 
himself  guilty  and  unclean,  he  needs  a  sacrifice  to  remove 
his  guilt,  cleanse  him  from  his  defilements,  and  fit  him  for 
the  holy  presence  of  God.  "Without  shedding  of  blood  is 
no  remission;  "  and  without  remission,  and  the  knowledge 
of  remission,  there  can  be  no  happy  worship, — no  real, 
hearty  praise,  adoration,  and  thanksgiving.  Going  to 


PREFACE.  vil 

what  is  called  "a  place  of  worship,"  and  worshiping  God, 
are  widely  different  things.  God  is  holy,  and  man  must 
approach  Him  in  His  own  way,  and  according  to  what  He 
is.  As  Moses  said  unto  Aaron  on  the  solemn  occasion  of 
(he  sin  of  Nadab  and  Abihu,  "This  is  it  that  the  Lord 
spake,  saying,  '  /  will  be  sanctified  in  them  that  come  nigh 
Me,  and  before  all  the  people  I  will  be  glorified.'  "  The 
Lord  alone  could  give  directions  as  to  how  the  people 
were  to  draw  nigh  unto  Him :  this  is  the  great  subject  of 
the  book  of  Leviticus.  The  "Notes"  on  the  first  seven 
and  the  sixteenth  chapters  will  give  the  reader  a  very  full 
and  interesting  view  of  the  ordinance  of  sacrifice,  and  the 
character  of  Jewish  worship. 

It  was  on  the  ground  of  offered  and  accepted  sacrifice 
that  the  children  of  Israel  were  constituted  the  worshiping 
people  of  God.  It  is  on  the  same  ground,  namely,  offered 
and  accepted  sacrifice,  that  believers  in  Jesus  are  consti- 
tuted the  worshiping  people  of  God  now.  (Read  carefully 
Lev.  xvi;  Heb.  ix,  x.)  They  have  taken  Israel's  place, 
but  after  a  much  higher  order,  whether. we  look  at  the 
sacrifice,  the  priest,  or  the  place  of  worship.  The  contrast 
between  them  is  great,  and  strongly  marked  in  Scripture, 
especially  in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  The  Jewish  sac- 
rifices never  reached  the  conscience  of  the  offerer,  and  the 
Jewish  priest  never  could  pronounce  him  "clean  every 
whit."  The  gifts  and  sacrifices  which  were  offered  under 
the  law,  as  the  apostle  tells  us,  "  could  not  make  him  that 
did  the  service  perfect,  as  pertaining  to  the  conscience." 
The  conscience,  observe,  always  being  the  reflection  of  the 
sacrifice,  it  could  not  be  perfect,  seeing^  the  sacrifice  was 
not  perfect;  "for  it  is  not  possible  that  the  blood  of  bulls 
and  of  goats  should  take  away  sins."  Hence,  Jewish  wor- 
ship was  connected  with  inefficient  sacrifices,  a  burden- 
some ritual,  and  an  unpurged  conscience,  Avhich  gendered 
in  the  worshiper  a  spirit  of  bondage  and  fear. 

But,  now,  mark  the  contrast  to  all  this  in  the  once-offered 
and  accepted  sacrifice  of  Christ.  He  "put  away  sin  by  the 


Vi  PREFACE. 

sacrifice  of  Himself."  All  is  done.  Having  "by  Himself 
purged  our  sins,  He  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Majesty  on  high."  When  the  worshiper  comes  before  God 
on  the  ground  of  this  Sacrifice,  he  finds  that  he  has  nothing 
to  do  save,  as  a  priest,  to  show  forth  the  praises  of  Him 
"who  hath  called  us  out  of  darkness  into  His  marvelous 
light."  Even  Christ  has  nothing  more  to  do  as  regards 
our  justification  and  acceptance,  "for  by  one  offering  He 
hath  perfected  forever  them  that  are  sanctified."  The 
Jew,  by  his  sacrifice,  was  merely  ceremonially  clean,  and 
that  only  for  a  moment,  as  it  were;  but  the  Christian, 
through  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  is  really  so,  and  that  for- 
ever. Oh,  that  sweet  word,  "FOREVER"!  It  is  the 
common  privilege  of  all  believers  to  be  perfected  as  wor- 
shipers before  God,  "through  the  offering  of  the  body  of 
Jesus  Christ  once  for  all."  On  this  deeply  important  point 
the  testimony  of  Scripture  is  most  full  and  explicit.  For 
the  worshipers  once  purged  should  have  "no  more  con- 
science of  sins." — "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin." — "And  their  sins  and  iniquities 
will  I  remember  no  more."  (1  John  i.  7;  Heb.  x.)  By  the 
work  of  Christ  for  us,  our  sins  were  all  put  away ;  and 
now,  by  faith  in  God's  word,  we  know  that  they  are  all 
forgiven  and  forgotten.  Hence,  we  can  draw  near  to  God, 
and  stand  in  His  holy  presence,  in  the  happy  assurance 
that  there  is  neither  sin  nor  stain  upon  us.  Our  Great 
High-Priest  has  pronounced  us  "clean  every  whit."  (John 
xiii.)  Believing  this,  the  sense  of  guilt  is  taken  away, — 
we  have  "NO  MORE  CONSCIENCE  OF  SINS." 

This  deeply  precious  truth,  observe,  does  not  mean  that 
there  is  no  more  consciousness  of  sins.  Far  from  it.  Or 
that  we  may  not  get  a  bad  conscience  through  failure ;  or 
that  we  need  not  be  exercised  "to  have  a  conscience  void 
of  offense  toward  God  and  toward  man."  Not  at  all.  It 
simply  means  that  Christ,  by  the  one,  perfect,  finished 
sacrifice  of  Himself,  has  forever  put  away  all  our  sins — 
root  and  branch.  And  having  been  led  to  know  and  be- 


PREFACE.  IX 

lieve  this,  how  can  there  be  sins  on  the  conscience? 
Christ  has  put  them  all  away.  The  precious  blood  of  our 
once-offered  and  accepted  Sacrifice  has  cleansed  us  from 
every  spot  and  stain  of  sin.  There  may  be  the  deepest 
sense  of  indwelling  sin,  and  of  many  sins  and  shortcom- 
ings in  our  every-day  life,  and  the  painful  confession  of 
them  all  to  God;  still  there  is  the  full  assurance  that 
Christ  died  for  our  sins,  put  them  all  away,  and  that  not 
one  of  them  can  ever  be  laid  to  our  charge.  This  is  indeed 
a  most  wondcrf ul  truth ;  but  it  is  the  great,  the  needed 
truth  for  a  worshiper.  How  could  we  stand  in  God's 
presence,  where  all  is  perfection,  if  ,we  were  not  as  clean 
as  He  would  have  us  to  be  ?  We  must  be  clean  enough 
for  the  eye  of  Infinite  Holiness.  But,  blessed  be  God,  all 
who  believe  in  Jesus,  and  rest  on  His  finished  sacrifice,  are 
forgiven  and  justified;  they  have  eternal  life,  righteous- 
ness, and  peace.  The  first  cry  for  mercy  of  the  guilty 
sinner  is  answered  by  the  blood  of  the  Sacrifice.  It  pene- 
trates to  the  deepest  depths  of  his  need ;  it  raises  him  to 
the  highest  heights  of  heaven,  and  fits  him  to  be  there,  a 
happy  worshiper,  in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  throne 
of  God. — "For  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the 
just  for  the  unjust,  that  He  might  bring  us  to  God." — 
"For  if  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats,  and  the  ashes  of 
a  heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth  to  the  purifying 
of  the  flesh;  how  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ, 
who  through  the  Eternal  Spirit  offered  Himself  without 
spot  to  God,  purge  your  conscience  from  dead  works  to 
serve  the  living  God  !  "  (1  Peter  iii.  18;  Heb.  ix.  13,  14.) 

II.  In  the  second  place,  we  have  in  the  rich  provisions 
of  God's  grace,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Great  High- 
Priest  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us.  He  ministers  there 
for  us. — "We  have  such  a  High-Priest,  who  is  set  on  the 
right  hand  of  the  throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  heavens ;  a 
Minister  of  the  sanctuary,  and  of  the  true  tabernacle, 
which  the  Lord  pitched,  and  not  man."  (Heb.  viii.  1,  2.) 
His  work  of  sacrifice  having  been  fully  completed,  He  sat 


X  PREFACE. 

down.  Aaron  is  represented  as  being  always  ii\a  standing 
position.  His  work  was  never  finished.  He  stood  "daily 
ministering,  and  offering  oftentimes  the  same  sacrifices, 
which  can  never  take  away  sins ;  but  this  Man,  after  He 
had  offered  one  sacrifice  for  sins,  forever  sat  down  on  the 
right  hand  of  God."  Immediately  after  the  law  of  the 
Lord  had  been  given  as  to  sacrifice,  the  priesthood  was 
established.  (See  "Notes"  on  chapters  viii,  ix.)  The 
saints  have  both  in  Christ.  He  is  our  Sacrifice  and  our 
Priest.  He  appeared  once  on  the  cross  for  us :  He  now 
appears  in  heaven  for  us:  ere  long  He  will  appear  in  glory 
with  us.  To  know  what  He  accomplished  on  the  cross, 
and  what  He  is  now  doing  in  the  sanctuary  above,  will 
nourish  in  our  hearts  the  hope  of  His  coming,  and  lead  us 
to  long  for  His  appearing  in  glory. 

In  the  New  Testament  we  only  read  of  two  orders  of 
priests,  namely,  Christ  as  the  Great  High-Priest  in  heaven, 
and  the  common  priesthood  of  all  believers  on  the  earth. 
"Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house, 
a  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  accept- 
able to  God  by  Jesus  Christ."  (1  Peter  ii.  5.)  And  again, 
"Unto  Him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
His  own  blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
God  and  His  Father."  (Rev.  i.  5.  6.)  These  passages 
clearly  prove  the  common  standing  of  all  believers  as 
priests  unto  God.  There  is  no  mention  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment of  any  peculiar  class  or  order  of  Christians  who  hold 
the  office  of  priests,  as  distinct  from  other  Christians. 
Christ  is  the  Great  High-Priest  over  the  house  of  God,  and 
all  His  people  are,  in  virtue  of  their  connection  with  Him, 
priests,  and  privileged  to  enter,  as  once-purged  worshipers, 
into  the  holiest  of  all.  Even  the  apostles  never  took  the 
place  of  priests,  as  distinct  from  or  superior  to  the  hum- 
blest child  of  God.  They  might  know  their  privileges 
better  than  many,  and  enjoy  them  more.  Their  gifts  and 
callings  as  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word  were  distinct  and 
special,  but  as  worshipers,  they  stood  on  the  same  ground 


PREFACE.  XI 

as  all  others,  and,  together  with  them,  worshiped  God 
through  Jesus  Christ,  the  Great  High-Priest  of  all  His 
people. 

In  the  priestly  ministry  of  our  blessed  Lord,  there  are 
many  points  of  special  interest ;  we  only  notice  the  two 
following : — 

1.  As  our  Great  High-Priest,  He  represents  us  in  the 
sanctuary  above.  And,  oh,  what  a  representative  ! — God's 
beloved  Son,  the  glorified  Man,  whose  name  is  above  every 
name  ! — "For  Christ  is  not  entered  into  the  holy  places 
made  with  hands,  which  are  the  figures  of  the  true ;  but 
into  heaven  itself,  now  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God 
for  ?<s."  (Heb.  ix.  24.)  Oh,  what  dignity!  what  nearness 
to  God  is  ours  !  Oh  that  our  hearts  appreciated  it  more  ! 
When  Aaron  appeared  before  the  Lord  in  his  garments  of 
glory  and  beauty,  he  represented  the  children  of  Israel. 
Their  names  were  engraven  in  precious  stones  in  the 
beautiful  breastplate.  Blessed  type  of  our  real  and  ever- 
lasting place  in  the  heart  of  Christ,  who  appears,  not 
annually,  like  Aaron  of  old,  but  continually  in  the  presence 
of  God  for  us.  The  name  of  each  believer  is  kept  continu- 
ally before  the  eye  of  God,  in  all  the  glory  and  beauty  of 
Christ,  His  well-beloved  Son.  He  is  our  righteousness, 
we  possess  His  life,  enjoy  His  peace,  are  filled  with  His 
joy,  and  radiate  His  glory.  Although  without  right,  title, 
or  privilege  in  ourselves,  we  have  all  in  Him.  He  is  there 
for  us  and  as  us.  His  name  be  forever  praised. 

"He  stands  in  heaven  their  Great  High-Priest, 
And  bears  their  names  upon  His  breast." 

It  is  by  His  continual  intercession  in  heaven  that  saints  on 
earth  are  succored  and  sustained  in  their  wilderness  jour- 
ney, and,  at  the  same  time,  upheld  as  worshipers  within 
the  vail,  in  all  the  sweet  fragrance  of  His  own  divine 
excellencies ;  and  neither  their  ignorance  nor  their  lack  of 
enjoyment  of  these  things  alters  or  affects  their  blessed, 
glorious,  and  eternal  reality,  "  seeing  He  ever  livcth  to 
make  intercession  for  them."  (Heb.  vii.  25.) 


Xll  PREFACE. 

2.  As  our  Great  High-Priest,  He  presents  to  God  the 
gifts  and  sacrifices  of  His  worshiping  people.  Under  the 
law,  the  worshiper  brought  his  offering  to  the  priest,  and 
by  him  it  was  presented  to  the  Lord,  on  His  own  altar. 
Every  thing  was  arranged  by  the  priest,  according  to  the 
word  of  the  Lord.  How  perfectly  all  this  is  done  for  the 
worshiper  now  by  his  High-Priest  in  heaven !  Our  prayers, 
praises,  and  thanksgiving,  all  puss  through  His  hands 
before  they  reach  the  throne  of  God.  What  a  wonderful 
mercy  this  is,  when  we  think  of  our  confused  and  mixed 
services  !  So  much  that  is  of  the  flesh  mingles  with  that 
which  is  of  the  [Spirit.  But  the  blessed  Lord  knows  how 
to  divide  and  separate  between  them.  That  which  is  of 
the  flesh  must  be  rejected,  and  consumed  as  wood,  hay, 
and  stubble,  while  that  which  is  of  the  Spirit  is  precious, 
preserved,  and  presented  to  God  in  the  value  and  sweet 
savor  of  His  own  perfect  sacrifice.  "By  Him  therefore 
let  11  s  olier  the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually,  that 
is,  the  fruit  of  our  lips  giving  thanks  unto  His  name." 
(lleb.  xiii.  15.)  The  kindness  of  the  Philippians  to  Paul 
was  "an  odor  of  a  sweet  smell,  a  sacrifice  acceptable, 
well-pleasing  to  God."  Hence  the  importance  of  the  ex- 
hortation, "  Whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or  deed,  do  all  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  giving  thanks  to  God  and  the 
Father  by  Him."  (Col.  iii.  17.) 

III.  In  the  third  place,  AVC  observe  that  the  Christian's 
only  place  of  worship  is  inside  the  vail,  "whither  the  Fore- 
runner is  for  us  entered."  Outside  the  camp  is  his  place 
as  a  witness;  inside  the  vail  is  his  place  as  a  worshiper. 
In  both  positions  Christ  is  surely  with  him.  "Let  us  go 
forth  therefore  unto  Him  without  the  camp,  bearing  His 
reproach."  "Having  therefore,  brethren,  boldness  to  enter 
into  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus."  (Heb.  xiii.  13 ;  x.  19.) 
To  know  these  two  positions  in  communion  with  Christ 
Himself,  through  the  teaching  of  the  Spirit,  is  unspeakable 
blessedness.  The  Church  has  no  divinely  consecrated 
place  of  worship  on  earth,  Our  place  is  hi  heaven,  in 


PREFACE.  X11L 

virtue  of  the  sacrifice  and  of  the  priestly  ministry  of 
Christ  there  for  us^.  Whatever  may  be  the  character  of 
the  building  in  which  Christians  arc  gathered  together 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  their  true  and  only  sphere 
of  worship  is  the  heavenly  sanctuary.  Through  faith  in 
God's  word,  and  by  the  power  of  His  Holy  Spirit,  they 
worship  Him  in  "the  true  tabernacle,  which  the  Lord 
pitched,  and  not  man." 

Israel  had  "a  worldly  sanctuary,"  and  accordingly  the 
character  of  their  worship  was  worldly;  "the  way  into  the 
holiest  of  all  was  not  yet  made  manifest,  while  as  the  first 
tabernacle  was  yet  standing."  But  the  way  has  boon 
opened  up  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  The  same  stroke  that 
slew  the  Lamb  rent  the  vail  from  top  to  bottom.  The 
way  into  the  holiest  of  all  was  then  laid  open,  and  Christ, 
with  all  His  blood-washed  ones,  entered  into  the  imme- 
diate presence  of  God,  without  a  vail.  There  is  no  onicr- 
court-worship  now  for  the  people,  and  te?»/>f<'-worsliip  for 
the  priest,  as  under  the  law.  These  distinctions  are  un- 
known in  the  Church  of  the  living  God.  It  is  all  priestly 
worship  and  temple  worship  now.  All  are  equally  near, 
all  have  equal  liberty,  all  are  equally  acceptable,  through 
the  presence  and  intervention  of  the  Great  High-Priest  of 
His  people.  The  same  precious  blood  that  cleansed  us 
from  all  sin,  has  brought  us  near  to  God  as  children,  and 
as  worshiping  priests.  And  if  we  really  know  the  won- 
drous efficacy  and  power  of  that  blood  in  the  heavenly 
places,  AVC  shall  be  at  home  and  happy  there  in  all  the 
liberty  and  dignity  of  sonship,  and  in  all  the  official  near- 
ness and  standing  of  once-purged  worshipers,  in  the  most 
holy  place. 

Oh  that  our  hearts  may  be  kept  in  the  sweet  remem- 
brance, knowledge,  and  power  of  the  rich  provisions  of 
God's  grace  for  all  our  need  !  Oh  that  we  may  never  lose 
sight  of  the  blood  on  the  mercy-seat,  the  Minister  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  of  our  holy,  heavenly,  and  eternal  place  of 
worship  ! 


Xlv  PREFACE. 

We  must  now  leave  the  dear  reader,  earnestly  commend- 
ing to  his  most  prayerful  and  diligent  study  this  precious 
book  of  Leviticus.  The  light  which  it  sheds  on  the  Person 
and  work  of  Christ — the  ground  and  character  of  our 
communion  with  God,  is  deeply  blessed  to  the  heart  that 
desires  to  live  in  the  enjoyment  of  these  eternal  realities. 
He  will  find  the  " Notes"  most  helpful  in  unfolding  the 
text,  and  in  giving  an  interesting  and  practical  view  to 
many  of  the  ceremonies  which  we  are  prone  to  pass  over 
as  uninteresting  and  uninstructive  to  us.  See,  for  exam- 
ple, the  eleventh  chapter. 

And  now,  may  the  Lord  graciously  own,  use,  and  bless 
this  little  volume,  for  the  glory  of  His  own  name,  and  for 
the  comfort  and  blessing  of  many  precious  souls. 

A.M. 

London,  Mai/,  1860. 


PKEFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 


THE  rapid  sale  of  a  large  edition  of  this  volume  evidences 
an  amount  of  interest  in  the  study  of  the  book  of 
Leviticus  for  which  I  unfeiguedly  bless  the  Lord.  Too 
many,  even  of  the  people  of  God,  seem  to  think  that  this 
section  of  inspiration  contains  nothing  of  any  interest  or 
value  to  them.  They  regard  it  as  a  detail  of  rites  and 
ceremonies  with  which  they  have  nothing  to  do — a  record 
of  by-gone  institutions,  affording  no  instruction  or  edifica- 
tion for  them.  That  this  is  a  great  mistake,  thousands  are 
now  discovering.  Very  many  who  for  years  looked  upon 
the  book  of  Leviticus  as  little  more  than  a  dry  catalogue 
of  Jewish  ordinances,  are  now  discovering  in  it  an  exhaust- 
less  mine  of  spiritual  wealth,  for  which  they  cannot  be  too 
thankful.  They  have  brought  its  marvelous  pages  under 
the  light  of  the  New  Testament  scriptures,  and  they  can 
only  wonder  at  that  which  is  now  unfolded  to  their  gaze. 
That  they  may  discover  yet  more  of  the  precious  treasure, 
is  my  earnest  desire  on  their  behalf. 

I  have  carefully  revised  the  following  pages,  and,  I  may 
say,  I  have  left  them  very  much  as  I  found  them.  An  ex- 
pression here  and  there  which  seemed  likely  to  be  misun- 
derstood, I  have  slightly  touched.  I  have  also  added  a 
brief  note  or  two.  These  trifling  matters  excepted,  the 
second  edition  is  a  reprint  of  the  first,  and,  as  such,  it 
is  again  committed  to  the  care  of  Him  from  Avhom  all 
blessings  flow.  May  He  be  graciously  pleased  to  crown  it 
still  further  with  the  stamp  of  His  approval.  His  seal  and 
sanction  are  all  that  any  book  requires  to  make  it  useful ; 


XVI  PREFACE    TO    THE    SECOND    EDITION. 

. 

and  truty,  we  may  say,  the  book  that  has  not  these  has 
nothing. 

The  Lord  grant  a  more  abundant  blessing,  and  His  name 
shall  have  all  the  praise.  « 

C.  H.  M. 

41  Mount  joy  St.,  Dublin. 
August,  1861. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I,     

Page. 
I 

"II,       

30 

Ill,  

«    71 

«    •     IV.—  V.  13, 

-        102 

«        y.  14—  VI.  7,  

-  134 

"        VIII.  &  IX, 

152 

X,    - 

-  175 

"XI,      

-       200 

"         XII,         

-  218 

"         XIII.  &  XIV,      

225 

"        XV,         -        -     "  

-  270 

"        XVI,  

-       277 

«        XVII,      

"         XVIII.     XX,      

-  302 

"        XXI.  &  XXII, 

-  321 

"        XXIII,        

330 

"         XXIV,    

-  353 

"        XXV,  

-.      362 

"        XXVI,     
"         XXVIT. 

-  373 
877 

NOTES 

ON 

THE  BOOK  OF 


ERE  entering   upon   the  _^ ^^SSB^— - 

before  us,  there  are  two  things  which  demand 
our  careful  consideration ;  namely,  first,  Jehovah's 
position ;  and  secondly,  the  order  in  which  the 
offerings  are  presented. 

"And  the  Lord  called  unto  Moses,  and  spake  unto 
him  out  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation." 
Such  was  the  position  from  which  Jehovah  made  the 
communications  contained  in  this  book.  He  had 
been  speaking  from  Mount  Sinai,  and  His  position 
there  gave  marked  character  to  the  communication. 
From  the  fiery  mount  "went  a  fiery  law  ;"  but  here, 
He  speaks  "out  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  cotigrega- 
tion."  This  was  an  entirely  different  position.  We 
have  seen  this  tabernacle  set  up,  at  the  close  of  the 
preceding  book. — "And  he  reared  up  the  court 
round  about  the  tabernacle  and  the  altar,  and  set  up 
the  hanging  of  the  court  gate.  So  Moses  finished 
the  work.  Then  a  cloud  covered  the  tent  of  the 
congregation,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the 


2  LEVITICUS. 

tabernacle For  the  cloud  of  the  Lord  was 

upon  the  tabernacle  by  day,  and  fire  was  on  it 
by  night,  in  the  sight  of  all  the  house  of  Israel, 
throughout  all  their  journeys."  (Exod.  xl.  33-38.) 

Now,  the  tabernacle  was  God's  dwelling-place  in 
grace.  He  could  take  up  His  abode  there,  because 
He  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  that  which  vividly 
set  forth  the  ground  of  His  relationship  with  the 
people.  Had  He  come  into  their  midst  in  the  full 
display  of  the  character  revealed  upon  Mount  Sinai, 
it  could  only  have  been  to  "consume  them  in  a  mo- 
ment," as  "a  stiff-necked  people  ;"  but  He  retired 
within  the  vail — type  of  Christ's  flesh  (Heb.  x.  20.), 
and  took  His  place  on  the  mercy-seat,  where  the 
blood  of  atonement,  and  not  the  "stitf-neckedness" 
of  Israel,  was  that  which  met  His  view  and  satisfied 
the  claims  of  His  nature.  The  blood  which  was 
brought  into  the  sanctuary  by  the  high-priest  was 
the  type  of  that  precious  blood  which  cleanses  from 
all  sin  ;  and  although  Israel  after  the  flesh  saw  no- 
thing of  this,  it  nevertheless  justified  God  in  abiding 
amongst  them — it  "sanctified  to  the  purifying  of 
the  flesh."  (Heb.  ix.  13.) 

Thusiinuch  as  to  Jehovah's  position  in  this  book, 
which  must  he  taken  into  account  in  order  to  a 
proper  understanding  of  the  communications  made 
therein.  In  them  we  shall  find  inflexible  holiness 
united  with  the  purest  grace.  God  is  holy,  no  mat- 
ter from  whence  He  speaks.  He  was  holy  on  Mount 
Sinai,  and  holy  above  the  mercy-seat;  but  in  the 
former  case,  His  holiness  stood  connected  with  "a. 


CHAPTER    I.  3 

devouring  fire,"  in  the  latter,  it  was  connected  with 
patient  grace.  Now  the  connection  of  perfect  holi- 
ness with  perfect  grace  is  that  which  characterizes 
the  redemption  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  which  re- 
demption is,  in  various  ways,  shadowed  forth  in  the 
book  of  Leviticus.  God  must  be  hoi}',  even  though 
it  should  be  in  the  eternal  condemnation  of  impeni- 
tent sinners  ;  but  the  full  display  of  His  holiness  in 
the  salvation  of  sinners  calls  forth  Heaven's  loudest 
and  loftiest  note  of  praise. — "Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good-will  toward  men." 
(Luke  ii.  14.)  This  doxology  could  not  have  been 
sung  in  connection  with  "the  fiery  law."  No  doubt 
there  was  "glory  to  God  in  the  highest,"  but  there 
was  no  "peace  on  earth"  nor  "good  pleasure  in 
men,"  inasmuch  as  it  was  the  declaration  of  what 
men  ought  to  be  ere  God  could  take  pleasure  in 
them.  But  when  "the  Son"  took  His  place  as  a 
man  on  the  earth,  the  mind  of  Heaven  could  express 
its  entire  delight  in  Him  as  the  One  whose  Person 
and  work  could  combine,  in  the  most  perfect  man- 
ner, divine  glory  with  human  blessedness. 

And  now,  one  word  as  to  the  order  of  the  offer- 
ings, in  the  opening  chapters  of  the  book  of  Leviti- 
cus. The  Lord  begins  with  the  burnt-offering,  arid 
ends  with  the  trespass-offering.  That  is  to  say,  He 
leaves  off  where  we  begin.  This  order  is  marked 
and  most  instructive.  When  first  the  arrow  of  con- 
viction enters  the  soul,  there  are  deep  searchings  of 
conscience  in  reference  to  sins  actually  committed. 
Memory  casts  back  its  enlightened  eye  over  the 


4  LEVITICUS. 

page  of  one's  past  life,  and  sees  it  stained  with 
numberless  trespasses  against  God  and  man.  At 
this  point  of  the  soul's  history,  it  is  not  so  much 
occupied  with  the  question  of  the  root  from  whence 
those  trespasses  have  sprung,  as  with  the  stern  and 
palpable  fact  that  such  and  such  things  have  actually 
been  committed ;  and  hence  it  needs  to  know  that 
God  has  provided  a  Sacrifice  through  which  "all 
trespasses ' '  can  be  ' '  frankly  forgiven. ' '  This  is  pre- 
sented to  us  in  the  trespass-offering. 

But,  as  one  advances  in  the  divine  life,  he  becomes 
conscious  that  those  sins  which  he  has  committed 
are  but  branches  from  a  root,  streams  from  a  foun- 
tain ;  and,  moreover,  that  sin  in  his  nature  is  that 
fountain — that  root.  This  leads  to  far  deeper  ex- 
ercise, which  can  only  be  met  by  a  deeper  insight 
into  the  work  of  the  cross.  In  a  word,  the  cross 
will  need  to  be  apprehended  as  that  in  which  God 
Himself  has  "condemned  sin  in  the  Jlesh."  (Rom. 
viii.  3.)  My  reader  will  observe,  it  does  not  say, 
"sins  in  the  life,"  but  the  root  from  whence  these 
have  sprung,  namely,  "sm  in  the^es/i."  This  is  a 
truth  of  immense  importance.  Christ  not  merely 
"died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  Scriptures,"  but 
He  was  "made  sin  for  us."  (2  Cor.  v.  21.)  This  is 
the  doctrine  of  the  sin-offering. 

Now,  it  is  when  the  heart  and  conscience  are  set 
at  rest,  through  the  knowledge  of  Christ's  work, 
that  we  can  feed  upon  Himself  as  the  ground  of  our 
peace  and  joy  in  the  presence  of  God.  The  tres- 
pass-offering and  the  sin-offering  must  be  known 


CHAPTER    I.  /        O 

ere  the  peace-offering,  joy-offering,  or  thanksgiving- 
offering  can  be  appreciated.  Hence,  therefore,  the 
order  in  which  the  peace-offering  stands  corresponds 
with  the  order  of  our  spiritual  apprehension  of 
Christ. 

The  same  perfect  order  is  observable  in  reference 
to  the  meat-offering.  When  the  soul  is  led  to  taste 
the  sweetness  of  spiritual  communion  with  Christ — 
to  feed  upon  Him,  in  peace  and  thankfulness,  in  the 
divine  presence,  it  is  drawn  out  in  earnest  desire  to 
know  more  of  the  wondrous  mysteries  of  His  Person  ; 
and  this  desire  is  most  blessedly  met  in  the  meat- 
offering, which  is  the  type  of  Christ's  perfect  man- 
hood. 

Then,  in  the  burnt-offering,  we  are  conducted  to 
a  point  beyond  which  it  is  impossible  to  go,  and 
that  is,  the  work  of  the  cross,  as  accomplished  under 
the  immediate  eye  of  God,  and  as  the  expression  of 
the  unswerving  devotion  of  the  heart  of  Christ.  All 
these  things  will  come  before  us,  in  beauteous  de- 
tail, as  we  pass  along ;  we  are  here  only  looking  at 
the  order  of  the  offerings,  which  is  truly  marvelous, 
whichever  way  we  travel,  whether  outward  from  God 
to  us,  or  inward  from  us  to  God.  In  either  case, 
we  begin  with  the  cross  and  end  with  the  cross.  If 
we  begin  with  tha  burnt-offering,  we  see  Christ,  on 
the  cross,  doing  the  will  of  God — making  atonement 
according  to  the  measure  of  His  perfect  surrender 
of  Himself  to  God.  If  we  begin  with  the  trespass- 
offering,  we  see  Christ,  on  the  cross,  bearing  our 
sins,  and  putting  them  away  according  to  the  per- 


6  LEVITICUS. 

fection  of  His  atoning  sacrifice ;  while  in  each  and 
all  we  behold  the  excellency,  the  beauty,  and  the 
perfection  of  His  divine  and  adorable  Person. 
Surely,  all  this  is  sufficient  to  awaken  in  our  hearts 
the  deepest  interest  in  the  study  of  those  precious 
types  which  we  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  in 
detail.  And  may  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  penned 
the  book  of  Leviticus,  expound  its  contents  in  living 
power  to  our  hearts,  that  so,  when  we  have  reached 
the  close,  we  may  have  abundant  cause  to  bless  His 
name  for  many  thrilling  and  soul-stirring  views  of 
the  Person  and  work  of  our  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  glory,  now,  henceforth, 
and  for  evermore.  Amen. 


IN  the  burnt-offering,  with  which  our  book  opens, 
wre  have  a  type  of  Christ  "offering  Himself  without 
spot  to  God."  Hence  the  position  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  assigns  to  it.  If  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  came 
forth  to  accomplish  the  glorious  work  of  atonement, 
His  highest  and  most  fondly  cherished  object  in  so 
doing  was  the  glory  of  God.  "Lo,  I  come  to  do 
Thy  will,  O  God,"  was  the  grand  motto  in  every 
scene  and  circumstance  of  His  life,  and  in  none 
more  markedly  than  in  the  work  of  the  cross.  Let 
the  will  of  God  be  what  it  might,  He  came  to  do  it. 
Blessed  be  God,  we  know  what  our  portion  is  in  the 
accomplishment  of  this  "will;"  for  by  it  "we  are 
sanctified,  through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus 
Christ  once."  (Heb.  x.  10.)  Still,  the  primary  as- 


CHAPTER    I.  7 

pect  of  Christ's  work  was  God  ward.  It  was  an 
ineffable  delight  to  Him  to  accomplish  the  will  of 
God  on  this  earth.  No  one  had  ever  done  this 
before.  Some  had,  through  grace,  done  "that  which 
was  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord;"  but  no  one 
had  ever  perfect!}7,  invariably,  from  first  to  last, 
without  hesitation,  and  without  divergence,  done 
the  will  of  God.  But  this  was  exactly  what  the 
Lord  Jesus  did.  He  was  "obedient  unto  death, 
even  the  death  of  the  cross."  (Phil.  ii.  8.)  "He 
steadfastly  set  His  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem."  And 
as  He  walked  from  the  garden  of  Gethsemane  to  the 
cross  of  Calvary,  the  intense  devotion  of  His  heart 
told  itself  forth  in  these  accents, — "The  cup  which 
My  Father  hath  given  Me,  shall  I  not  drink  it?" 

Now,  in  all  this  self-emptied  devotedness  to  God 
there  was  truly  a  sweet  savor.  A  perfect  Man  on 
the  earth  accomplishing  the  will  of  God,  even  in 
death,  was  an  object  of  amazing  interest  to  the  mind 
of  Heaven.  Who  could  fathom  the  profound  depths 
of  that  devoted  heart  which  displayed  itself,  under 
the  e}-e  of  God,  on  the  cross  ?  Surely,  none  but 
God ;  for  in  this,  as  in  every  thing  else,  it  holds 
good  that  "no  man  knoweth  the  Son,  but  the  Fa- 
ther," and  no  one  can  know  aught  about  Him  save 
as  the  Father  reveals  Him.  The  mind  of  man  can, 
in  some  measure,  grasp  any  subject  of  knowledge 
"under  the  sun," — human  science  can  be  laid  hold 
of  by  the  human  intellect ;  but  no  man  knoweth  the 
Son  save  as  the  Father  reveals  Him,  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  through  the  written  Word.  The 


8  LEVITICUS. 

Holy  Ghost  delights  to  reveal  the  Son — to  take  of 
the  things  of  Jesus  and  show  them  unto  us.  These 
things  we  have,  in  all  their  fullness  and  beauty,  in 
the  Word.  There  can  be  no  new  revelation,  inas- 
much as  the  Spirit  brought  "a//  things"  to  the 
apostles'  memory,  and  led  them  into  "a// truth." 
There  can  be  nothing  beyond  "all  truth;"  and 
hence,  all  pretension  to  a  new  revelation  and  the 
development  of  new  truth  (meaning  thereby  truth 
not  contained  in  the  sacred  canon  of  inspiration)  is 
an  effort  on  man's  part  to  add  to  what  God  calls 
"all  truth."  No  doubt  the  Spirit  may  unfold  and 
aPPb'j  with  new  and  extraordinary  power,  truth 
contained  in  the  Word  ;  but  this  is  obviously  a  very 
different  thing  from  our  traveling  outside  the  range 
of  divine  revelation  for  the  purpose  of  finding  prin- 
ciples, ideas,  or  dogmas  which  shall  command  the 
conscience.  This  latter  can  only  be  regarded  in  the 
light  of  impious  presumption. 

In  the  gospel  narrative,  we  have  Christ  presented 
to  us  in  the  varied  phases  of  His  character,  His 
Person,  and  His  work.  To  those  precious  docu- 
ments the  people  of  God  in  all  ages  have  rejoiced  to 
betake  themselves,  and  drink  in  their  heavenly  rev- 
elations of  the  object  of  their  love  and  confidence — 
the  One  to  whom  they  owed  everything,  for  time 
and  eternity.  But  very  few,  comparatively,  have 
ever  been  led  to  regard  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of 
the  Levitical  economy  as  fraught  with  the  most' 
minute  instruction  in  reference  to  the  same  com- 
manding theme.  The  offerings  of  Leviticus,  for 


CHAPTER    I.  9 

example,  have  been  too  much  regarded  as  so  many 
antiquated  records  of  Jewish  customs,  conveying  no 
intelligible  voice  to  our  ears — no  spiritual  light  to 
our  understandings.  However,  it  must  be  admitted 
that  the  apparently  abstruse  records  of  Leviticus, 
as  well  as  the  sublime  strains  of  Isaiah,  take  their 
place  amongst  the  "things  which  were  written  afore- 
time," and  they  are,  therefore,  "for  our  learning." 
True,  we  shall  need  to  study  those  records,  as  indeed 
all  Scripture,  with  a  humble,  self-emptied  spirit ;  with 
reverent  dependence  upon  the  teaching  of  Him  who 
graciously  penned  them  for  us  ;  with  sedulous  atten- 
tion to  the  general  scope,  bearing,  and  analogy  of  the 
entire  body  of  divine  revelation ;  with  an  effectual 
curb  on  the  imagination,  that  it  may  not  take  un- 
hallowed flights ;  but  if  thus,  through  grace,  we 
enter  upon  the  study  of  the  types  of  Leviticus,  we 
shall  find  in  them  a  vein  of  the  richest  and  finest  ore. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  examine  the  burnt-offer-  *• 
ing,  which,  as  we  have  remarked,  presents  Christ 
offering  Himself  without  spot  to  God. 

"If  his  offering  be  a  burnt  sacrifice  of  the  herd, 
let  him  offer  a  male,  without  blemish."  The  essen- 
tial glory  and  dignity  of  Christ's  Person  form  the 
basis  of  Christianity.  He  imparts  that  dignity  and 
glory  to  every  thing  He  does,  and  to  every  office  He 
sustains.  No  office  could  possibly  add  glory  to  Him 
who  is  "God  over  all,  blessed  forever" — "God 
manifest  in  the  flesh" — the  glorious  "Immanuel" 
—"God  with  us" — the  Eternal  Word — the  Creator 
and  Sustainer  of  the  universe.  What  office  could 


10  LEVITICUS. 

add  to  the  dignity  of  such  an  One  ?  In  point  of  fact, 
\ve  know  that  all  His  offices  are  connected  with  His 
humanity ;  and  in  assuming  that  humanity,  He 
stooped  from  the  glory  which  He  had  with  the  Father 
before  the  world  was.  He  thus  stooped  in  order  to 
glorify  God  perfectly  in  the  very  midst  of  a  scene 
where  all  was  hostile  to  Him.  He  came  to  be  "eaten 
up"  by  a  holy,  unquenchable  zeal  for  the  glory  of 
God,  and  the  effectual  carrying  out  of  His  eternal 
counsels. 

The  unblemished  male  of  the  first  year  was  a 
type  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  offering  Himself  for 
the  perfect  accomplishment  of  the  will  of  God. 
There  should  be  nothing  expressive  either  of  weak- 
ness or  imperfection.  "A  male  of  the  first  3-6 ar  " 
was  required.  We  shall  see,  when  we  come  to  ex- 
amine the  other  offerings,  that  "a  female"  was  in 
some  cases  permitted  ;  but  that  was  only  expressive 
of  the  imperfection  which  attached  to  the  worshiper's 
apprehension,  and  in  no  wise  of  any  defect  in  the 
offering,  inasmuch  as  it  was  "unblemished"  in  the 
one  case  as  well  as  in  the  other.  Here,  however,  it 
was  an  offering  of  the  very  highest  order,  because 
it  was  Christ  offering  Himself  to  God.  Christ,  in 
the  burnt-offering,  was  exclusively  for  the  eye  and 
heart  of  God.  This  point  should  be  distinctly  ap- 
prehended. God  alone  could  duly  estimate  the 
Person  and  work  of  Christ;  He  alone  could  fully 
appreciate  the  cross  as  the  expression  of  Christ's 
perfect  devotedness.  The  cross,  as  foreshadowed 
by  the  burnt-offering,  had  an  element  in  it  which 


CHAPTER    I.  11 

only  the  divine  mind  could  apprehend  ;  it  had  depths 
so  profound,  that  neither  mortal  nor  angel  could 
fathom  them.  There  was  a  voice  in  it  which  was 
intended  exclusively  for,  and  went  directly  to,  the 
ear  of  the  Father.  There  were  communications 
between  the  cross  of  Calvary  and  the  throne  of  God 
which  lay  far  beyond  the  highest  range  of  created 
intelligence. 

4 '  He  shall  offer  it  of  his  own  voluntary  will  at  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  before 
the  Lord."  The  use  of  the  word  ''•voluntary"  here 
brings  out  with  great  clearness  the  grand  idea  in  the 
burnt-offering.  It  leads  us  to  contemplate  the  cross 
in  an  aspect  which  is  not  sufficiently  apprehended. 
We  are  too  apt  to  look  upon  the  cross  merely  as  the 
place  where  the  great  question  of  sin  was  gone  into 
and  settled  between  eternal  Justice  and  the  spotless 
Victim — as  the  place  where  our  guilt  was  atoned  for, 
and  where  Satan  was  gloriously  vanquished.  Eter- 
nal and  universal  praise  to  redeeming  love  !  the 
cross  was  all  this ;  but  it  was  more  than  this, — it 
was  the  place  where  Christ's  love  to  the  Father  was 
told  out  in  language  which  only  the  Father  could 
hear  and  understand.  It  is  in  the  latter  aspect  that 
we  have  it  typified  in  the  burnt-offering,  and  there- 
fore it  is  that  the  word  "voluntary"'  occurs.  Were 
it  merely  a  question  of  the  imputation  of  sin,  and 
of  enduring  the  wrath  of  God  on  account  of  sin, 
such  an  expression  would  not  be  in  moral  order. 
The  blessed  Lord  Jesus  could  not,  with  strict  pro- 
priety, be  represented  as  willing  to  be  "made  sin" 


12  LEVITICUS. 

• — witting  to  endure  the  wrath  of  God  and  the  hiding 
of  His  countenance ;  and  in  this  one  fact  we  learn, 
in  the  clearest  manner,  that  the  burnt-offering  does 
not  jnri'xlnidnir  Cltrixt  on  the  cross  bearhif/  sin,  but 
Christ  on  the  cross  accomplishing  the  will  of  God. 
That  Christ  Himself  contemplated  the  cross  in  these 
t\vo  aspects  of  it  is  evident  from  His  own  words. 
When  He  looked  at  the  cross  as  the  place  of  sin- 
bearing —  when  He  anticipated  the  horrors  with 
which,  in  this  point  of  view,  it  stood  invested,  He 
exclaimed,  "  Father,  if  Thou  be  willing,  remove  tins 
cup  from  Me."  (Luke  xxiii.  12.)  He  shrank  from 
that  which  His  work,  as  a  sin-bearer,  involved.  His 
pure  and  holy  mind  shrank  from  the  thought  of 
contact  with  sin.  and  His  loving  heart  shrank  from 
the  thought  of  losing,  for  a  moment,  the  light  of 
dud's  countenance. 

But  then,  the  cross  had  another  aspect.  It  stood 
before  the  eye  of  Christ  as  a  scene  in  which  He 
could  fully  tell  out  all  the  deep  secrets  of  His  love 
to  the  Father — a  phu-e  in  which  He  could,  "of  His 
own  voluntary  will,"  take  the  cup  which  the  Father 
had  given  Him,  and  drain  it  to  the  very  dregs. 
True  it  is  that  the  whole  life  of  Christ  emitted  a 
fragrant  odor,  which  ever  ascended  to  the  Father's 
throne — He  did  always  those  things  which  pleased 
the  Father— He  ever  did  the  will  of  God;  but  the 
burnt-offering  does  not  typify  Iliin  in  His  life — pre- 
cious, be3'ond  all  thought,  as  was  every  act  of  that 
life, — but  in  His  death,  and  in  that,  not  as  one 
4 'made  a  curse  for  us,"  but  as  one  presenting  to 


CHAPTER    I.  13 

the  heart  of  the  Father  an  odor  of  incomparable 
fragrance. 

This  truth  invests  the  cross  with  peculiar  charms 
for  the  spiritual  mind.  It  imparts  to  the  sufferings 
of  our  blessed  Lord  an  interest  of  the  most  intense 
character.  The  guilty  sinner,  no  doubt,  finds  in 
the  cross  a  divine  answer  to  the  deepest  and  most 
earnest  cravings  of  heart  and  conscience :  the  true 
believer  finds  in  the  cross  that  which  captivates 
every  affection  of  his  heart,  and  transfixes  his  whole 
moral  being :  the  angels  find  in  the  cross  a  theme 
for  ceaseless  admiration.  All  this  is  true  ;  but  there 
is  that  in  the  cross  which  passes  far  beyond  the 
loftiest  conceptions  of  saints  or  angels,  namel}',  the 
deep-toned  devotion  of  the  heart  of  the  Son  pre- 
sented to  and  appreciated  by  the  heart  of  the  Father. 
This  is  the  elevated  aspect  of  the  cross  which  is  so 
strikingly  shadowed  forth  in  the  burnt-offering. 

And  here  let  me  remark  that  the  distinctive  beauty 
of  the  burnt-offering  must  be  entirely  sacrificed  if 
we  admit  the  idea  that  Christ  was  a  sin-bearer  ail 
His  life.  There  would  then  be  no  force,  no  value, 
no  meaning  in  the  word  u voluntary,"  There  could 
be  no  room  for  voluntary  action  in  the  case  of  one 
who  was  compelled,  by  the  very  necessity  of  his 
position,  to  yield  up  his  life.  If  Christ  were  a  sin- 
bearer  in  His  life,  then,  assuredly,  His  death  must 
have  been  a  necessary,  not  a  voluntary,  act.  Indeed, 
it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  there  is  not  one  of 
the  offerings  the  beauty  of  which  would  not  be 
marred,  and  its  strict  integrity  sacrificed,  by  the 


14  LEVITICUS. 

theory  of  a  life  of  sin-bearing.  In  the  burnt-offering, 
this  is  especially  the  case,  inasmuch  as  it  is  not,  in  it, 
a  question  of  sin-bearing,  or  enduring  the  wrath  of 
God,  but  entirely  one  of  voluntary  devotedness, 
manifested  in  the  death  of  the  cross.  In  the  burnt- 
offering,  we  recognize  a  type  of  God  the  Son 
accomplishing,  by  God  the  Spirit,  the  will  of  God 
the  Father.  This  He  did  "of  His  own  voluntary 
will. "  "  Therefore  doth  My  Father  love  Me,  because 
I  lay  down  My  life,  that  I  might  take  it  again." 
(John  x.  17.)  .  Here  we  have  the  burnt- offering 
aspect  of  the  death  of  Christ.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  prophet,  contemplating  Him  as  the  sin-offering, 
says,  "His  life  is  taken  from  the  earth"  (Acts.  viii. 
33.)  (which  is  the  LXX.  version  of  Isaiah  liii.  8.). 
Again,  Christ  says,  "No  one  \_ov  Seii\  taketh  it 
from  Me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  Myself."  Was  He  a 
sin-bearer  when  He  said  this  ?  Observe,  it  is  "No 
one," — man,  angel,  devil,  or  else.  It  was  His  own 
voluntary  act,  to  lay  down  His  life  that  He  might 
take  it  again.  "I  delight  to  do  Thy  will,  O  My 
God."  Such  was  the  language  of  the  divine  burnt- 
offering — of  Him  who  found  His  unutterable  joy  in 
offering  Himself  without  spot  to  God. 

Now,  it  is  of  the  last  importance  to  apprehend 
with  distinctness  the  primary  object  of  the  heart  of 
Christ  in  the  work  of  redemption.  It  tends  to  con- 
solidate the  believer's  peace.  The  accomplishment 
of  God's  will,  the  establishment  of  God's  counsels, 
and  the  display  of  God's  glory,  occupied  the  fullest, 
deepest,  and  largest  place  in  that  devoted  heart 


CHAPTER   I.  15 

V 

which  viewed  and  estimated  every  thing  in  reference 
to  God.  The  Lord  Jesus  never  once  stopped  to 
inquire  how  any  act  or  circumstance  would  affect 
Himself.  "He  humbled  Himself"— "He  made 
Himself  of  no  reputation" — He  surrendered  all. 
And  hence,  when  He  arrived  at  the  close  of  His 
career,  He  could  look  back  upon  it  all,  and  say, 
with  His  e}*es  lifted  up  to  heaven,  "I  have  glorified 
Thee  on  the  earth ;  I  have  finished  the  w^ork  which 
Thou  gavest  Me  to  do."  (John  xvii.  4.)  It  is  im- 
possible to  contemplate  the  wrork  of  Christ,  in  this 
aspect  of  it,  without  having  the  heart  filled  with  the 
sweetest  affections  toward  His  Person.  It  does  not 
detract,  in  the  smallest  degree,  from  our  sense  of  His 
love  to  us,  to  know  that  He  made  God  His  primary 
object  in  the  work  of  the  cross.  Quite  the  opposite. 
His  love  to  us,  and  our  salvation  in  Him,  could  only 
be  founded  upon  God's  established  gloiy.  That  glory 
must  form  the  solid  basis  of  every  thing.  "As  truly 
as  I  live,  all  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  glory 
of  the  Lord."  (Numb.  xiv.  21.)  But  we  know  that 
God's  eternal  glory  and  the  creature's  eternal  bless- 
edness are,  in  the  divine  counsels,  inseparably  linked 
together,  so  that  if  the  former  be  secured,  the  latter 
must  needs  be  so  likewise. 

"And  he  shall  put  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the 
burnt-offering ;  and  it  shall  be  accepted  for  him,  to 
make  atonement  for  him."  The  act  of  laying  on 
of  hands  was  expressive  of  full  identification.  By 
that  significant  act,  the  offerer  and  the  offering  be- 
came one ;  and  this  oneness,  in  the  case  of  the 
3 


16  LEVITICUS. 

burnt-offering,  secured  for  the  offerer  all  the  accept- 
ableness  of  his  offering.  The  application  of  this  to 
Christ  and  the  believer  sets  forth  a  truth  of  the  most 
precious  nature,  and  one  largely  developed  in  the 
New  Testament,  namely,  the  believer's  everlasting 
identification  with,  and  acceptance  in,  Christ.  "As 
He  is,  so  are  we  in  this  world."  "We  are  in  Him 
that  is  true."  (1  John  iv.  17;  v.  20.)  Nothing,  in 
any  measure,  short  of  this  could  avail.  The  man  who 
is  not  in  Christ  is  in  his  sins.  There  is  no  middle 
ground:  you  must  be  either  in  Christ  or  out  of 
Him.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  being  partly  in 
Christ.  If  there  is  a  single  hair's  breadth  between 
you  and  Christ,  you  are  in  an  actual  state  of  wrath 
and  condemnation  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  if  you 
are  in  Him,  then  are  you  "as  He  is"  before  God, 
and  so  accounted  in  the  presence  of  infinite  holiness. 
Such  is  the  plain  teaching  of  the  Word  of  God. 
"Ye  are  complete  in  Him*' — "accepted  in  the  Be- 
loved"— "members  of  His  body,  of  His  flesh,  and 
of  His  bones."  "He  that  is  joined  unto  the  Lord 
is  one  spirit."  (1  Cor.  vi.  17 ;  Eph.  i.  6  ;  v.  30 ;  Col. 
ii.  10.)  Now,  it  is  not  possible  that  the  Head  can 
be  in  one  degree  of  acceptance  and  the  members  in 
another.  No ;  the  head  and  the  members  are  one. 
God  counts  them  one,  and  therefore  they  are  one. 
This  truth  is  at  once  the  ground  of  the  loftiest  con- 
fidence, and  of  the  most  profound  humility.  It 
imparts  the  fullest  assurance  of  "boldness  in  the 
day  of  judgment,"  inasmuch  as  it  is  not  possible 
that  aught  can  be  laid  to  the  charge  of  Him  with 


CHAPTER    I.  17 

whom  we  are  united :  it  imparts  the  deep  sense  of 
our  own  nothingness,  inasmuch  as  our  union  with 
Christ  is  founded  upon  the  death  of  nature  and  the 
utter  abolition  of  all  its  claims  and  pretensions. 

Since,  therefore,  the  Head  and  the  members  are 
viewed  in  the  same  position  of  infinite  favor  and 
acceptance  before  God,  it  is  perfectly  evident  that 
all  the  members  stand  in  one  acceptance,  in  one 
salvation,  in  one  life,  in  one  righteousness.  There 
are  no  degrees  in  justification.  The  babe  in  Christ 
stands  in  the  same  justification  as  the  saint  of  fifty 
years'  experience.  The  one  is  in  Christ,  and  so  is 
the  other ;  and  this,  as  it  is  the  only  ground  of  life, 
so  it  is  the  only  ground  of  justification.  There  are 
not  two  kinds  of  life,  neither  are  there  two  kinds  of 
justification.  No  doubt  there  are  various  measures 
of  enjoyment  of  this  justification — various  degrees 
in  the  knowledge  of  its  fullness  and  extent — various 
degrees  in  the  ability  to  exhibit  its  power  upon  the 
heart  and  life  ;  and  these  things  are  frequently  con- 
founded with  the  justification  itself,  which,  as  being 
divine,  is  necessarily  eternal,  absolute,  unvarying, 
entirely  unaffected  by  the  fluctuations  of  human 
feeling  and  experience. 

But,  further,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  progress  in 
justification.  The  believer  is  not  more  justified  to- 
day than  he  was  yesterday ;  nor  will  he  be  more 
justified  to-morrow  than  he  is  to-day;  }-ea,  a  soul 
who  is  "in  Christ  Jesus"  is  as  completely  justified 
as  if  he  were  before  the  throne.  He  is  "complete  in 
Christ,-  he  is  "as"  Christ.  He  is,  on  Christ's  own 


18  LEVITICUS. 

authority,  "clean  every  whit."  (John  xiii.  10.) 
What  more  could  he  be  at  this  side  of  the  glory  ? 
He  may  [and  if  he  walks  in  the  Spirit,  will]  make 
progress  in  the  sense  and  enjoyment  of  this  glorious 
reality ;  but,  as  to  the  thing  itself,  the  moment  he, 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  believed  the 
gospel,  he  passed  from  a  positive  state  of  unright- 
eousness and  condemnation  into  a  positive  state  of 
righteousness  and  acceptance.  All  this  is  based 
upon  the  divine  perfectness  of  Christ's  work ;  just 
as,  in  the  case  of  the  burnt-offering,  the  worshiper's 
acceptance  was  based  upon  the  acceptableness  of 
his  offering.  It  was  not  a  question  of  what  he  was, 
but  simply  of  what  the  sacrifice  was. — "It  shall  be 
accepted  for  /ii'ra,  to  make  atonement  for  him." 

"And  he  shall  kill  the  bullock  before  the  Lord ; 
and  the  priests,  Aaron's  sons,  shall  bring  the  blood, 
and  sprinkle  the  blood  round  about  upon  the  altar 
that  is  by  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congre- 
gation." It  is  most  needful,  in  studying  the  doc- 
trine of  the  burnt-offering,  to  bear  in  mind  that  the 
grand  point  set  forth  therein  is  not  the  meeting  of 
the  sinner's  need,  but  the  presentation  to  God  of 
that  which  was  infinitely  acceptable  to  Him.  Christ 
as  foreshadowed  by  the  burnt-offering  is  not  for  the 
sinner's  conscience,  but  for  the  heart  of  God. 
Further,  the  cross  in  the  burnt-offering  is  not  the 
exhibition  of  the  exceeding  hatefulness  of  sin,  but 
of  Christ's  unshaken  and  unshakable  clevotedness 
to  the  Father ;  neither  is  it  the  scene  of  God's 
outpoured  wrath  on  Christ  the  sin-bearer,  but  of 


CHAPTER    I.  19 

the  Father's  unmingled  complacency  in  Christ  the 
voluntary  and  most  fragrant  Sacrifice.  Finally, 
"atonement"  as  seen  in  the  burnt-offering  is  not 
merely  commensurate  with  the  claims  of  man's 
conscience,  but  with  the  intense  desire  of  the  heart 
of  Christ  to  carry  out  the  will  and  establish  the 
counsels  of  God — a  desire  which  stopped  not  short 
of  surrendering  up  His  spotless,  precious  life,  as 
"a  voluntary  offering"  of  "sweet  savor"  to  God. 

From  the  carrying  out  of , this  desire,  no  power  of 
earth  or  hell,  men  or  devils,  could  shake  Him. 
When  Peter  ignorantly  sought  to  dissuade  Him,  by 
words  of  false  tenderness,  from  encountering  the 
shame  and  degradation  of  the  cross — "Pity  Thyself, 
Lord:  this  shall  not  be  unto  Thee" — what  was  the 
reply  ?  "Get  thee  behind  Me,  Satan  :  Thou  art  an 
offense  unto  Me ;  for  thou  savorest  not  the  things 
that  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men."  (Matt, 
xvi.  22,  23.)  So,  also,  on  another  occasion,  He 
says  to  His  disciples,  "Hereafter  I  will  not  talk 
much  with  you  ;  for  the  prince  of  this  world  cometh, 
and  hath  nothing  in  Me.  But  that  the  world  may 
know  that  Hove  the  Fatlier,  and  as  the  Father  gave 
Me  commandment,  even  so  I  do."  (John  xiv.  30.) 
These  and  numerous  other  kindred  scriptures  bring 
out  the  burnt-offering  phase  of  Christ's  work,  in 
which,  it  is  evident,  the  primary  thought  is  His 
"offering  Himself  without  spot  to  God." 

In  full  keeping  with  all  that  has  been  stated  in 
reference  to  the  special  point  in  the  burnt-offering, 
is  the  place  which  Aaron's  sons  get,  and  the  func- 


20  LEVITICUS. 

tions  assigned  them  therein.  They  "sprinkle  the 
blood;"  they  "put  the  fire  upon  the  altar;"  they 
"lay  the  wood  in  order  upon  the  fire;"  they  "lay 
the  parts,  the  head  and  the  fat,  in  order  upon  the 
wood  that  is  on  the  fire  which  is  upon  the  altar." 
These  are  very  prominent  actions,  and  they  form  a 
marked  feature  of  the  burnt-offering,  as  contrasted 
with  the  sin-offering,  in  which  Aaron's  sons  are  not 
mentioned  at  all.  "The  sons  of  Aaron"  represent 
the  Church,  not  as  "one  body,"  but  as  a  priestly 
house.  This  is  easily  apprehended.  If  Aaron  was 
a  type  of  Christ,  then  Aaron's  house  was  a  type  of 
Christ's  house,  as  we  read,  in  Heb.  iii,  "But  Christ 
as  a  Son  over  His  own  house  ;  whose  house  are  we." 
And  again,  "Behold  I  and  the  children  whom  God 
hath  given  Me."  Now,  it  is  the  privilege  of  the 
Church,  as  led  and  taught  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  to 
gaze  upon  and  delight  in  that  aspect  of  Christ  which 
is  presented  in  this  opening  t}7pe  of  Leviticus.  "Our 
fellowship  is  with  the  Father,"  who  graciously  calls 
us  to  participate  with  Him  in  His  thoughts  about 
Christ.  True,  we  can  never  rise  to  the  height  of 
those  thoughts,  but  we  can  have  fellowship  therein, 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  dwells  in  us.  It  is  not 
here  a  question  of  having  the  conscience  tranquil- 
ized  by  the  blood  of  Christ  as  the  sin-bearer,  but 
of  communion  with  God  in  the  matter  of  Christ's 
perfect  surrender  of  Himself  on  the  cross. 
-  "The  priests,  Aaron's  sons,  shall  bring  the  blood, 
and  sprinkle  the  blood  round  about  upon  the  altar 
that  is  by  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 


CHAPTER    I.  21 

gregation."  Here  we  have  a  type  of  the  Church 
bringing  the  memorial  of  an  accomplished  sacrifice, 
and  presenting  it  in  the  place  of  individual  approach 
to  God.  But  we  must  remember,  it  is  the  blood  of 
the  burnt-offering,  and  not  of  the  sin-offering ; — 
it  is  the  Church,  in  the  -power  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
entering  into  the  stupendous  thought  of  Christ's 
accomplished  devotedness  to  God,  and  not  a  con- 
victed sinner  entering  into  the  value  of  the  blood  of 
the  sin-bearer.  I  need  hardly  say  that  the  Church 
is  composed  of  sinners,  and  convicted  sinners,  too ; 
but  "Aaron's  sons"  do  not  represent  convicted 
sinners,  but  worshiping  saints, — it  is  as  "priests" 
they  have  to  do  with  the  burnt-offering.  Many  err 
as  to  this.  They  imagine  that  because  one  takes 
the  place  of  a  worshiper  (being  invited  by  the  grace 
of  God,  and  fitted  by  the  blood  of  Christ  so  to  do), 
he  thereby  refuses  to  acknowledge  himself  a  poor 
worthless  sinner.  This  is  a  great  mistake.  The 
believer  is,  in  himself,  "nothing  at  all;"  but  in 
Christ,  he  is  a  purged  worshiper.  He  does  not  stand 
in  'the  sanctuary  as  a  guilty  sinner,  but  as  a  wor- 
shiping priest,  clothed  in  "garments  of  glory  and 
beauty."  To  be  occupied  with  my  guilt  in  the 
presence  of  God  is  not  humility  as  regards  myself, 
but  unbelief  as  regards  the  Sacrifice. 

However,  it  imist  be  very  evident  to  my  reader 
that  the  idea  of  sin-bearing — the  imputation  of  sin 
— the  wrath  of  God — does  not  appear  in  the  burnt- 
offering.  True,  we  read,  "It  shall  be  accepted  for 
him,  to  make  atonement  for  him;"  but  then,  it  is 


22  LEVITICUS. 

"atonement,"  not  according  to  the  depths  and  enor- 
mity of  human  guilt,  but  according  to  the  perfection 
of  Christ's  surrender  of  Himself  to  God,  and  the 
intensity  of  God's  delight  in  Christ.  This  gives  us 
the  very  loftiest  idea  of  atonement.  If  I  contemplate 
Christ  as  the  sin-offering,  I  see  atonement  made  ac- 
cording to  the  claims  of  divine  justice  with  respect 
to  sin ;  but  when  I  see  atonement  in  the  burnt- 
offering,  it  is  according  to  the  measure  of  Christ's 
willingness  and  ability  to  accomplish  the  will  of 
God,  and  according  to  the  measure  of  God's  com- 
placency in  Christ  and  His  work.  What  a  perfect 
atonement  must  that  be  which  is  the  fruit  of  Christ's 
'devotion  to  God !  Could  there  be  any  thing  beyond 
this  ?  Assuredly  not.  The  burnt-offering  aspect  of 
atonement  is  that  about  which  the  priestly  household 
may  well  be  occupied  in  the  courts  of  the  Lord's 
house  forever. 

"And  he  shall  flay  the  burnt-offering,  and  cut  it 
into  his  pieces."  The  ceremonial  act  of  "flaying" 
was  peculiarly  expressive.  It  was  simply  the  re- 
moving of  the  outward  covering,  in  order  that  what 
was  within  might  be  fully  revealed.  It  was  not 
sufficient  that  the  offering  should  be  outwardly 
"without  blemish,"  "the  hidden  parts"  should  be 
all  disclosed,  in  order  that  every  sinew  and  every 
joint  might  be  seen.  It  was  only  in  the  case  of  the 
burnt-offering  that  this  action  was  specially  named. 
This  is  quite  in  character,  and  tends  to  set  forth  the 
depth  of  Christ's  devotedness  to  the  Father.  It 
was  no  mere  surface- work  with  Him.  The  more 


CHAPTER    I.  23 

the  secrets  of  His  inner  life  were  disclosed ' — the 
more  the  depths  of  His  being  were  explored,  the 
more  clearly  was  it  made  manifest  that  pure  devo- 
tion to  the  will  of  His  Father,  and  earnest  desire 
for  His  glory,  were  the  springs  of  action  in  the 
great  Antitype  of  the  burnt-offering.  He  was, 
most  assuredly,  a  whole  burnt-offering. 

4 'And  cut  it  into  his  pieces."  This  action  pre- 
sents a  somewhat  similar  truth  to  that  taught  in  the 
"sweet  incense  beaten  small."  (Lev.  xvi.)  The 
Holy  Ghost  delights  to  dwell  upon  the  sweetness 
and  fragrance  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  not  only  as 
a  whole,  but  also  in  all  its  minute  details.  Look 
at  the  burnt-offering  as  a  whole,  and  3*011  see  it 
without  blemish :  look  at  it  in  all  its  parts,  and  you 
see  it  to  be  the  same.  Such  was  Christ ;  and  as 
such  He  is  shadowed  forth  in  this  important  type. 

"And  the  sons  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  put  fire 
upon  the  altar,  and  lay  the  wood  in  order  upon  the 
fire.  And  the  priests,  Aaron's  sons,  shall  lay  the 
parts,  the  head,  and  the  fat,  in  order  upon  the  wood 
that  is  on  the  fire  which  is  upon  the  altar."  This 
was  a  high  position  for  the  priestly  family.  The 
burnt-offering  was  wholly  offered  to  God, — it  was 
all  burnt  upon  the  altar.*  Man  did  not  partake  of 

*  It  may  be  well,  at  this  point,  to  inform  the  reader  that  the 
Hebrew  word  which  is  rendered  "burn"  in  the  case  of  the  burnt- 
offering  is  wholly  different  from  that  which  is  used  in  the  sin- 
offering.  I  shall,  because  of  the  peculiar  interest  of  the  subject, 
refer  to  a  few  of  the  passages  in  which  each  word  occurs.  The 
word  used  in  the  burnt-offering  signifies  "incense,"  or  to  "burn 
incense,"  and  occurs  in  the  following  passages,  in  some  one  or 
other  of  its  various  inflections:  Lev.  vi.  15— "And  all  the  frank- 


24  LEVITICUS. 

it ;  but  the  sons  of  Aaron  the  priest  (themselves 
being  likewise  priests)  are  here  seen  standing  round 
the  altar  of  God,  to  behold  the  flame  of  an  accept- 
able sacrifice  ascending  to  Him — an  odor  of  sweet 
smell.  This  was  a  high  position — high  communion 
— a  high  order  of  priestly  service — a  striking  t}Tpe 
of  the  Church  having  fellowship  with  God,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  perfect  accomplishment  of  His  will  in 
the  death  of  Christ.  As  convicted  sinners,  we  gaze 
on  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  behold 
therein  that  which  meets  all  our  need.  The  cross, 
in  this  aspect  of  it,  gives  perfect  peace  to  the  con- 
science. But  then,  as  priests,  as  purged  worshipers, 
as  members  of  the  priestly  family,  we  can  look  at 
the  cross  in  another  light — even  as  the  grand  con- 
incense and  shall  burn  it  upon  the  altar;"  Deut.  xxxiii. 

10 — "They  shall  put  incense  before  Thee,  and  whole  burnt- sacrifice 
upon  Thine  altar; "  Exod.  xxx.  1 — "And  thou  shalt  make  an  altar 
to  burn  incense  upon;"  Ps.  Ixvi.  15 — "With  the  incense  of  rams;" 
Jer.  xliv.  21 — "The  incense  that  ye  burned  in  the  cities  of  Judah;" 
Cant.  iii.  16— "  Perfumed  with  myrrh  and  frankincense."  Passages 
might  be  multiplied,  but  the  above  will  suffice  to  show  the  use  of 
the  Avord  which  occurs  in  the  burnt -offering. 

The  Hebrew  word  which  is  rendered  "burn"  in  connection  with 
the  sin-offering,  signifies  to  burn  in  general,  and  occurs  in  the 
following  passages :  Gen.  xl.  3 — "  Let  us  make  brick,  and  burn  them 
thoroughly."  Lev.  x.  16 — "  And  Moses  diligently  sought  the  goat 
of  the  sw-offering,  and,  behold,  it  was  burnt."  2  Chron.  xvi.  14 — 
"And  they  made  a  very  great  burning  for  him. 

Thus,  not  only  was  the  sin-offering  burnt  in  a  different  place,  but 
a  different  word  is  adopted  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  express  the 
burning  of  it.  Now,  we  cannot  imagine,  for  a  moment,  that  this 
distinction  is  a  mere  interchange  of  words,  the  use  of  which  is 
indifferent.  I  believe  the  wisdom  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  as  manifest 
in  the  use  of  the  two  words  as  it  is  in  any  other  point  of  difference 
in  the  two  offerings.  The  spiritual  reader  will  attach  the  proper 
value  to  the  above  most  interesting  distinction. 


CHAPTER    I.  25 

summation  of  Christ's  holy  purpose  to  carry  out, 
even  unto  death,  the  will  of  the  Father.  As  con- 
victed sinners,  we  stand  at  the  brazen  alkir,  and 
find  peace  through  the  blood  of  atonement ;  but  as 
priests,  we  stand  there  to  behold  and  admire  the 
completeness  of  that  burnt-offering — the  perfect  sur- 
render and  presentation  of  the  spotless  One  to  God. 
We  should  have  a  very  defective  apprehension. of 
the  n^stery  of  the  cross  were  we  only  to  see  in  it 
that  which  meets  man's  need  as  a  sinner.  There 
were  depths  in  that  mj'stery  which  only  the  mind  of 
God  could  fathom.  It  is  therefore  important  to  see 
that  when  the  Holy  Ghost  would  furnish  us  with 
foreshadowings  of  the  cross,  He  gives  us,  in  the 
very  first  place,  one  which  sets  it  forth  in  its  aspect 
Godward.  This  alone  would  be  sufficient  to  teach 
us  that  there  are  heights  and  depths  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  cross  which  man  never  could  reach.  He  may 
approach  to  "that  one  well-spring  of  delight,"  and 
drink  forever — he  may  satisfy  the  utmost  longings 
of  his  spirit — he  may  explore  it  with  all  the  powers 
of  the  renewed  nature ;  but,  after  all,  there  is  that 
in  the  cross  which  only  God  .could  know  and  appre- 
ciate. Hence  it  is  that  the  burnt-offering  gets  the 
first  place.  It  t}-pifies  Christ's  death  as  viewed  and 
valued  by  God  alone.  And  surely,  we  may  say,  we 
could  not  have  done  without  such  a  type  as  this ; 
for  not  only  does  it  give  us  the  highest  possible 
aspect  of  the  death  of  Christ,  but  it  also  gives  us  a 
most  precious  thought  in  reference  to  God's  peculiar 
interest  in  that  death.  The  very  fact  of  His  insti- 


2G  LEVITICUS. 

tuting  a  type  of  Christ's  death  which  was  to  be 
exclusively  for  Himself,  contains  a  volume  of  in- 
struction for  the  spiritual  mind. 

But  though  neither  man  nor  angel  can  ever  fully 
sound  the  amazing  depths  of  the  mystery  of  Christ's 
death,  we  can,  at  least,  see  some  features  of  it  which 
would  needs  make  it  precious,  be}rond  all  thought, 
to  the  heart  of  God.  From  the  cross,  He  reaps  His 
richest  harvest  of  glory.  In  no  other  way  could  He 
have  been  so  glorified  as  by  the  death  of  Christ. 
In  Christ's  voluntary  surrender  of  Himself  to  death, 
the  divine  glory  shines  out  in  its  fullest  brightness  ; 
in  it,  too,  the  solid  foundation  of  all  the  divine 
counsels  was  laid.  This  is  a  most  comforting  truth. 
Creation  never  could  have  furnished  such  a  basis. 
Moreover,  the  cross  furnishes  a  righteous  channel 
through  which  divine  love  can  flow.  And,  finalty, 
by  the  cross  Satan  is  eternally  confounded,  and 
''principalities  and  powers  made  a  show  of  openly." 
These  are  glorious  fruits  produced  by  the  cross ; 
and,  when  we  think  of  them,  we  can  see  just  reason 
why  there  should  have  been  a  type  of  the  cross 
exclusively  for  God  Himself,  and  also  a  reason  why 
that  type  should  occupy  the  leading  place — should 
stand  at  the  very  top  of  the  list.  Again  let  me 
say,  there  would  have  been  a  grievous  blank  among 
the  types  had  the  burnt-offering  been  lacking,  and 
there  would  be  a  grievous  blank  in  the  page  of 
inspiration  had  the  record  of  that  type  been  with- 
held. 

"But  his  inwards  and  his  legs  shall  he  wash  in 


CHAPTER    I.  27 

water ;  and  the  priest  shall  burn  all  on  the  altar,  to 
be  a  burnt-sacrifice,  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a 
sweet  savor  unto  the  Lord."  This  action  rendered 
the  sacrifice  t}Tpically  what  Christ  was  essentially — 
pure — both  inwardly  and  outwardly  pure.  There  was 
the  most  perfect  correspondence  between  Christ's 
inward  motives  and  His  outward  conduct.  The 
latter  was  the  index  of  the  former.  All  tended  to 
the  one  point,  namely,  the  glory  of  God.  The 
members  of  His  body  perfectly  obeyed  and  carried 
out  the  counsels  of  His  devoted  heart — that  heart 
which  only  beat  for  God,  and  for  His  glory,  in  the 
salvation  of  men.  Well,  therefore,  might  the  priest 
"burn  all  on  the  altar."  It  was  all  t3rpically  pure, 
and  all  designed  only  as  food  for  the  altar  of  God. 
Of  some  sacrifices  the  priest  partook ;  of  some,  the 
offerer ;  but  the  burnt-offering  was  "all"  consumed 
on  the  altar.  It  wras  exclusively  for  God.  The 
priests  might  arrange  the  wood  and  the  fire,  and 
see  the  flame  ascend  (and  a  high  and  holy  privilege 
it  was  so  to  do)  ;  but  they  did  not  eat  of  the  sacri- 
fice: God  alone  was  the  object  of  Christ  in  the 
burnt-offering  aspect  of  His  death.  We  cannot  be 
too  simple  in  our  apprehension  of  this.  From  the 
moment  that  the  unblemished  male  was  voluntarily 
presented  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation, until  it  was  reduced  to  ashes  by  the  action 
of  the  fire,  we  discern  in  it  Christ  offering  Himself, 
by  the  Eternal  Spirit,  without  spot  to  God. 

This  makes  the  burnt-offering  unspeakably  pre- 
cious to  the  soul.    It  gives  us  the  most  exalted  view 


28  LEVITICUS. 

of  Christ's  work.  In  that  work,  God  had  His  own 
peculiar  joy — a  joy  into  which  no  created  intelligence 
could  enter.  This  must  never  be  lost  sight  of.  It 
is  unfolded  in  the  burnt-offering,  and  confirmed  by 
"the  law  of  the  burnt-offering,"  to  which  we  shall 
just  refer. 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Com- 
mand Aaron  and  his  sons,  saying,  This  is  the  law 
of  the  burnt-offering:  It  is  the  burnt-offering,  be- 
cause of  the  burning  upon  the  altar  all  night  unto  the 
morning,  and  the  fire  of  the  altar  shall  be  burning 
in  it.  And  the  priest  shall  put  on  his  linen  garment, 
and  his  linen  breeches  shall  he  put  upon  his  flesh, 
and  take  up  the  ashes  which  the  fire  hath  consumed 
with  the  burnt-offering  on  the  altar,  and  he  shall 
put  them  beside  the  altar.  And  he  shall  put  off  his 
garments,  and  put  on  other  garments,  and  carry 
forth  the  ashes  without  the  camp  unto  a  clean  place. 
And  the  fire  upon  the  altar  shall  be  burning  in  it ;  it 
shall  not  be  put  out:  and  the  priest  shall  burn  wood 
on  it  every  morning,  and  lay  the  burnt-offering  in 
order  upon  it ;  and  he  shall  burn  thereon  the  fat  of 
the  peace-offerings.  The  fire  shall  ever  be  burning 
upon  the  altar;  it  shall  never  go  out.'"  (Lev.  vi. 
8-13.)  The  fire  on  the  altar  consumed  the  burnt- 
offering  and  the  fat  of  the  peace-offering.  It  was 
the  apt  expression  of  divine  holiness,  which  found 
in  Christ  and  His  perfect  sacrifice  a  proper  mate- 
rial on  which  to  feed.  That  fire  was  never  to  go 
out.  There  was  to  be  the  perpetual  maintenance  of 
that  which  set  forth  the  action  of  divine  holiness. 


CHAPTER    I.  29 

Through  the  dark  and  silent.watches  of  the  night, 
the  fire  blazed  on  the  altar  of  God. 

"And  the  priest  shall  put  on  his  linen  garment," 
etc.  Here,  the  priest  takes,  in  type,  the  place  of 
Christ,  whose  personal  righteousness  is  set  forth  by 
the  white  linen  garment.  He  having  given  Himself 
up  to  the  death  of  the  cross  in  order  to  accomplish 
the  will  of  God,  has  entered,  in  His  own  eternal 
righteousness,  into  heaven,  bearing  with  Him  the 
memorials  of  His  finished  work.  The  ashes  declared 
the  completion  of  the  sacrifice,  and  God's  accept- 
ance thereof.  Those  ashes  placed  beside  the  altar 
indicated  that  the  fire  had  consumed  the  sacrifice 
— that  it  was  not  only  a  completed,  but  also  an 
accepted,  sacrifice.  The  ashes  of  the  burnt-offering 
declared  the  acceptance  of  the  sacrifice :  the  ashes 
of  the  sin-offering  declared  the  judgment  of  the 
sin. 

Many  of  the  points  on  which  we  have  been  dwell- 
ing will,  with  the  divine  blessing,  come  before  us 
with  increasing  clearness,  fullness,  precision,  and 
power  as  we  proceed  with  the  offerings.  Each 
offering  is,  as  it  were,  thrown  into  relief  by  being 
viewed  in  contrast  with  all  the  rest.  All  the  offerings 
taken  together  give  us  a  full  view  of  Christ.  They 
are  like  so  many  mirrors,  arranged  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  reflect  in  various  ways  the  figure  of  that  true 
and  only-perfect  Sacrifice.  No  one  type  couht  fully 
present  Him.  We  needed  to  have  Him  reflected 
in  life  and  in  death — as  a  Man  and  as  a  Victim, 
Godward  and  usward ;  and  we  have  Him  thus  in 


30  LEVITICUS. 

the  offerings  of  Levitieus.  God  has  graciously  met 
our  need  ;  and  may  He  give  us  an  enlarged  capacity 
to  enter  into  and  enjoy  His  provision. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WE  now  come  to  consider  the  meat-offering,  which 
presents,  in  a  very  distinct  manner,  "the  Man 
Christ  Jesus."  As  the  burnt-offering  typifies  Christ 
in  death,  the  meat-offering  typifies  Him  in  life.  In 
neither  the  one  nor  the  other  is  there  a  question  of 
sin-bearing.  In  the  burnt-offering,  we  see  atone- 
ment, but  no  sin-bearing* — no  imputation  of  sin 
— no  outpoured  wrath  on  account  of  sin.  How  can 
we  know  this?  Because  it  was  all  consumed  on  the 
altar.  Had  there  been  aught  of  sin-bearing,  it  would 
have  been  consumed  outside  the  camp.  (Comp.  Lev. 
iv.  11,  12,  with  Heb.  xiii.  11.) 

But  in  the  meat-offering,  there  was  not  even  a 
question  of  bloodshedding.  We  simply  find  in  it  a 
beauteous  type  of  Christ  as  He  lived  and  walked 
and  served  down  here  on  this  earth.  This  one  fact 
is,  of  itself,  sufficient  to  draw  the  spiritual  mind  to 
the  close  and  pra}'crful  consideration  of  this  offering. 
The  pure  and  perfect  manhood  of  our  blessed  Lord 
is  a  theme  which  must  command  the  attention  of 
every 'true  Christian.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  great 
looseness  of  thought  prevails  in  reference  to  this 

*That  is  to  say,  sin-bearing  is  not  prominent.    Of  course,  where 
there  is  atonement,  sin  must  be  in  question. 


CHAPTER   H.  31 

holy  mj-stery.  The  expressions  which  one  some- 
times hears  and  reads  are  sufficient  to  prove  that  the 
fundamental  doctrine  of  incarnation  is  not  laid  hold 
of  as  the  Word  presents  it.  Such  expressions  may 
very  probably  proceed  from  misapprehension  as  to 
the  real  nature  of  His  relations,  and  as  to  the  true 
character  of  His  sufferings ;  but,  from  what  cause 
soever  they  arise,  they  should  be  judged  in  the  light 
of  holy  Scripture,  and  rejected.  Doubtless,  many 
who  make  use  of  those  expressions  would  recoil,  with 
just  horror  and  indignation,  from  the  real  doctrine 
contained  in  them  were  it  put  before  them  in  its 
broad  and  true  characters  ;  and,  for  this  reason,  one 
should  be  sorry  to  attribute  unsoundness  as  to  fun- 
damental truth,  where  it  may  merely  be  inaccuracy 
of  statement. 

There  is,  however,  one  consideration  which  should 
weigh  heavily  in  the  estimation  of  every  Christian, 
and  that  is,  the  vital  nature  of  the  doctrine  of 
Christ's  humanity.  It  lies  at  the  very  foundation 
of  Christianity;  and,  for  this  reason,  Satan  has 
diligently  sought,  from  the  beginning,  to  lead  people 
astray  in  reference  to  it.  Almost  all  the  leading 
errors  which  have  found  their  way  into  the  professing 
church  disclose  the  satanic  purpose  to  undermine 
the  truth  as  to  the  Person  of  Christ.  And  even 
when  earnest",  godly  men  have  sought  to  combat 
those  errors,  they  have,  in  many  cases,  plunged  into 
errors  on  the  opposite  side.  Hence,  therefore,  the 
need  of  close  adherence  to  the  veritable  words  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  has  made  use  of  in  unfolding  this 


32  LEVITICUS. 

profound  and  most  sacred  mystery.  Indeed,  I  be- 
lieve that,  in  every  ease,  subjection  to  the  authority 
of  holy  Scripture,  and  the  energy  of  the  divine  life 
in  the  soul,  will  prove  effectual  safeguards  against 
every  complexion  of  error.  It  does  not  require 
high  theological  attainments  to  enable  a  soul  to 
keep  clear  of  error  with  respect  to  the  doctrine  of 
Christ.  If  only  the  word  of  Christ  be  dwelling 
richly,  and  "the  Spirit  of  Christ"  be  in  energy,  in 
the  soul,  there  will  be  no  room  for  Satan  to  thrust 
in  his  dark  and.  horrible  suggestions.  If  the  heart 
be  delighting  in  the  Christ  which  Scripture  unfolds, 
it  will  assuredly  shrink  from  the  false  Christs  which 
Satan  would  introduce.  If  we  are  feeding  upon 
God's  reality,  we  shall  unhesitatingly  reject  Satan's 
counterfeit.  This  is  the  best  possible  way  in  which 
to  escape  the  .entanglements  of  error,  in  every  shape 
and  character.  "The  sheep  hear  His  voice,  and 
.  .  .  .  follow  Him  ;  for  they  know  His  voice.  And 
a  stranger  will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from 
him  ;  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers."  (John 
x.  3-5.)  It  is  not,  by  any  means,  needful  to  be 
acquainted  with  the  voice  of  a  stranger  in  order  to 
turn  away  from  it:  all  we  require  is  to  know  the 
voice  of  "the  good  Shepherd."  This  will  secure  us 
against  the  ensnaring  influence  of  every  strange 
sound.  While,  therefore,  I  feel  called1  upon  to  warn 
the  reader  against  strange  sounds  in  reference  to  the 
divine  mystery  of  Christ's  humanit}*,  I  do  not  deem 
it  needful  to  discuss  such  sounds,  but  would  rather 
seek,  through  grace,  to  arm  him  against  them  by 


CHAPTER    II.  33 

unfolding  the  doctrine  of  Scripture  on  the  subject. 
There  are  few  things  in  which  we  exhibit  more 
failure  than  in  maintaining  vigorous  communion 
with  the  perfect  manhood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Hence  it  is  that  we  suffer  so  much'  from  vacancy, 
barrenness,  restlessness,  and  wandering.  Did  we  but 
enter  with  a  more  artless  faith  into  the  truth  that 
there  is  a  real  Man  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty 
in  the  heavens — One  whose  sympathy  is  perfect, 
whose  love  is  fathomless,  whose  power  is  omnipo- 
tent, whose  wisdom  is  infinite,  whose  resources  are 
exhaustless,  whose  riches  are  unsearchable,  whose 
ear  is  open  to  our  every  breathing,  whose  hand  is 
open  to  our  every  need,  whose  heart  is  full  of 
unspeakable  love  and  tenderness  towards  us — how 
much  more  happy  and  elevated  we  should  be,  and 
how  much  more  independent  of  creature  streams, 
through  what  channel  soever  they  may  flow !  There 
is  nothing  the  heart  can  crave  which  we  have  not  in 
Jesus.  Does  it  long  for  genuine  63~mpathy  ?  Where 
can  it  find  it,  save  in  Him  who  could  mingle  His 
tears  with  those  of  the  bereaved  sisters  of  Bethany? 
Does  it  desire  the  enjoyment  of  sincere  affection  ? 
It  can  only  find  it  in  that  heart  which  told  forth  its 
love  in  drops  of  blood.  Does  it  seek  the  protection 
of  real  power  ?  It  has  but  to  look  to  Him  who 
made  the  world.  Does  it  feel  the  need  of  unerring 
wisdom  to  guide?  Let  it  betake  itself  to  Him  who 
is  wisdom  personified,  and  "who  of  God  is  made 
unto  us  wisdom."  In  one  word,  we  have  all  in 
Christ.  The  divine  mind  and  the  divine  affections 


34  LEVITICUS. 

have  found  a  perfect  object  in  "the  Man  Christ 
Jesus  ;  "  and  surely,  if  there  is  that  in  the  Person  of 
Christ  which  can  perfectly  satisfy  God,  there  is  that 
which  ought  to  satisfy  us,  and  which  will  satisfy  us 
in  proportion  as,  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
we  walk  in  communion  with  God. 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  the  only  perfect  Man 
that  ever  trod  this  earth.  He  was  all  perfect — per- 
fect in  thought,  perfect  in  word,  perfect  in  action. 
In  Him  every  moral  quality  met  in  divine  and 
therefore  perfect  proportion.  No  one  feature  pre- 
ponderated. In  Him  were  exquisitely  blended  a 
majesty  which  overawed,  and  a  gentleness  which 
gave  perfect  ease  in  His  presence.  The  scribes  and 
the  Pharisees  met  His  withering  rebuke,  while  the 
poor  Samaritan  and  "the  woman  that  was  a  sinner" 
found  themselves  unaccountably,  yet  irresistibly,  at- 
tracted to  Him.  No  one  feature  displaced  another, 
for  all  was  in  fair  and  comely  proportion.  This  may 
be  traced  in  every  scene  of  His  perfect  life.  He 
could  say,  in  reference  to  five  thousand  hungry 
people,  "Give  ye  them  to  eat;"  and  when  they 
were  filled,  He  could  say,  "Gather  up  the  fragments 
that  remain,  that  nothing  be  lost."  The  benevolence 
and  the  economy  are  both  perfect,  and  neither  in- 
terferes with  the  other :  each  shines  in  its  own  proper 
sphere.  He  could  not  send  unsatisfied  hunger 
away ;  neither  could  He  suffer  a  single  fragment  of 
God's  creatures  to  be  wasted.  He  would  meet,  with 
a  full  and  liberal  hand,  the  need  of  the  human  family, 
and  when  that  was  done,  He  would  carefully  treas- 


CHAPTER    II.  35 

tire  up  every  atom.  The  self-same  hand  that  was 
widely  open  to  every  form  of  human  need  was  firmly 
closed  against  all  prodigality.  There  was  nothing 
niggardly  nor  yet  extravagant  in  the  character  of 
the  perfect — the  heavenly  Man. 

What  a  lesson  for  us  !  How  often,  with  us,  does 
benevolence  resolve  itself  into  an  unwarrantable 
profusion  !  and,  on  the  other  hand,  how  often  is 
our  economy  marred  by  the  exhibition  of  a  miserly 
spirit !  At  times,  too,  our  niggard  hearts  refuse  to 
open  themselves  to  the  full  extent  of  the  need  which 
presents  itself  before  us ;  while,  at  other  times,  we 
squander,  through  a  wanton  extravagance,  that 
which  might  satisfy  many  a  needy  fellow-creature. 
Oh,  my  reader,  let  us  carefully  study  the  divine 
picture  set  before  us  in  the  life  of  "the  Man  Christ 
Jesus."  How  refreshing  and  strengthening  to  "the 
inward  man"  to  be  -occupied  with  Him  who  was 
perfect  in  all  His  ways,  and  who  "in  all  things  must 
have  the  pre-eminence"  ! 

See  Him  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  There, 
He  kneels  in  the  profound  depths  of  a  humility 
which  none  but  Himself  could  exhibit;  but  yet 
before  the  traitor's  band  He  exhibits  a  self-posses- 
sion and  majesty  which  cause  them  to  go  backward 
and  fall  to  the  ground.  His  deportment  before  God 
is  prostration  ;  before  His  judges  and  accusers,  un- 
bending dignity.  All  is  perfect.  The  self-emptiness 
and  the  self-possession,  the  prostration  and  the 
dignity,  are  all  divine. 

So,   also,    when   we   contemplate   the   beauteous 


36  LEVITICUS. 

combination  of  His  divine  and  human  relations, 
the  same  perfectness  is  observable.  He  could  say, 
"How  was  it  that  ye  sought  Me?  Wist  ye  not  that 
I  must  be  about  My  Father's  business?"  And,  at 
the  same  time,  He  could  go  down  to  Nazareth,  and 
there  set  an  example  of  perfect  subjection  to  pa- 
rental authority.  (See  Luke  ii.  49-51.)  He  could 
say  to  His  mother,  "Woman,  what  have  I  to  do 
with  thee?"  And  yet,  when  passing  through  the 
unutterable  agony  of  the  cross,  He  could  tenderly 
commit  that  mother  to  the  care  of  the  beloved 
disciple.  In  the  former  case,  He  separated  Himself, 
in  the  spirit  of  perfect  Nazariteship,  to  accomplish 
His  Father's  will;  while  in  the  latter,  He  gave 
expression  to  the  tender  feelings  of  the  perfect 
human  heart.  The  devotion  of  the  Nazarite  and 
the  affection  of  the  Man  were  both  perfect.  Neither 
was  permitted  to  interfere  with  the  other:  each 
shone  with  undimmed  lustre  in  its  proper  sphere. 

Now,  the  shadow  of  this  perfect  Man  passes 
before  us  in  the  "fine  flour"  which  formed  the  basis 
of  the  meat-offering.  There  was  not  so  much  as  a 
single  course  grain.  There  was  nothing  uneven — 
nothing  unequal — nothing  rough  to  the  touch.  No 
matter  what  pressure  came  from  without,  there  was 
always  an  even  surface.  He  was  never  ruffled  by 
any  circumstance  or  set  of  circumstances.  He 
never  had  to  retrace  a  step  or  recall  a  word.  Come 
what  might,  He  always  met  it  in  that  perfect  even- 
ness which  is  so  strikingly  typified  by  the  "fine 
flour. " 


CHAPTER    IT.  37 

In  all  these  things,  it  is  needless  to  say,  He  stands 
in  marked  contrast  with  His  most  honored  and  de- 
voted servants.  For  example,  Moses,  though  "the 
meekest  man  in  all  the  earth,"  yet  "spoke  unad- 
visedly with  his  lips."  In  Peter,  we  find  a  zeal  and 
an  energy  which  at  times  proved  too  much  for  the 
occasion ;  and,  again,  a  cowardice  which  shrank 
from  the  place  of  testimony  and  reproach.  There 
was  the  assertion  of  a  devotedness  which,  when  the 
time  for  action  arrived,  was  not  forthcoming.  John, 
who  breathed  so  much  of  the  atmosphere  of  the  im- 
mediate presence  of  Christ,  exhibited,  at  times,  a 
sectarian  and  an  intolerant  spirit.  In  Paul,  the 
most  devoted  of  servants,  we  observe  considerable 
unevenness.  He  uttered  words  to  the  high-priest 
which  he  had  to  recall:  he  sent  a  letter  to  the 
Corinthians  of  which  at  first  he  repented  and  after- 
wards repented  not.  In  all,  we  find  some  flaw,  save 
in  Him  who  is  "the  fairest  among  ten  thousand, 
and  altogether  lovely." 

In  the  examination  of  the  meat-offering,  it  will  give 
clearness  and  simplicity  to  our  thoughts  to  consider, 
first,  the  materials  of  which  it  was  composed ;  sec- 
ondly, the  various  forms  in  which  it  was  presented ; 
and,  thirdly,  the  persons  who  partook  of  it. 

As  to  the  materials,  the  "fine  flour"  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  basis  of  the  offering ;  and  in  it  we 
have  a  tjrpe  of  Christ's  humanity,  wherein  every 
perfection  met.  Every  virtue  was  there,  and  ready 
for  effectual  action  in  due  season.  The  Holy  Ghost 
delights  to  unfold  the  glories  of  Christ's  Person,  to 


38  LEVITICUS. 

set  Him  forth  in  all  His  peerless  excellence,  to  place 
Him  before  us  in  contrast  with  all  beside.  He  con- 
trusts  Him  with  Adam,  even  in  his  very  best  and 
highest  state  ;  as  we  read,  "The  first  man  is  of  the 
earth,  earthy:  the  second  Man  is  the  Lord  from 
heaven."  (1  Cor.  xv.  47.)  The  first  Adam,  even 
in  his  unfallen  condition,  was  "of  the  earth;"  but 
the  second  Man  was  "the  Lord  from  heaven." 

The  "oil,"  in  the  meat-offering,  is  a  type  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  But  inasmuch  as  the  oil  is  applied  in 
a  twofold  way,  so  we  have  the  Holy  Ghost  presented 
in  a  double  aspect,  in  connection  with  the  incarnation 
of  the  Son.  The  fine  flour  was  "mingled"  with  oil, 
and  there  was  oil  "poured"  upon  it.  Such  was  the 
type  ;  and  in  the  Antitype,  we  see  the  blessed  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  first  "conceived,"  and  then  '•''anointed," 
by  the  Holy  Ghost.  (Comp.  Matt.  i.  18-23  with  chap, 
iii.  16.)  This  is  divine  !  The  accurac}7,  which  is 
here  so  apparent,  draws  forth  the  soul's  admiration. 
It  is  one  and  the  same  Spirit  which  records  the  in- 
gredients of  the  type,  and  gives  us  the  facts  in  the 
Antitype.  The  One  who  has  detailed  for  us,  with 
such  amazing  precision,  the  t}7pes  and  shadows  of 
the  book  of  Leviticus,  has  also  given  us  the  glorious 
subject  thereof  in  the  gospel  narratives.  The  same 
Spirit  breathes  through  the  pages  of  the  Old  and 
those  of  the  New  Testament,  and  enables  us  to  see 
how  exactly  the  one  corresponds  with  the  other. 

The  conception  of  Christ's  humanity  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  in  the  womb  of  the  virgin,  unfolds  one  of 
the  most  profound  mysteries  which  can  possibly 


CHAPTER    II.  39 

engage  the  attention  of  the  renewed  mind.  It  is 
most  fully  set  forth  in  Luke's  gospel;  and  this  is 
entirely  characteristic,  inasmuch  as,  throughout  that 
gospel,  it  would  seem  to  be  the  special  object  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  unfold,  in  His  own  divinely  touching 
manner,  "the  Man  Christ  Jesus."  In  Matthew, 
we  have  "the  Son  of  Abraham — the  Son  of  David  ; ' ' 
in  Mark,  we  have  the  divine  Servant — the  heavenly 
Workman;  in  John,  we  have  "the  Son  of  God" — 
the  Eternal  Word — the  Life — the  Light,  by  whom 
all  things  were  made ;  but  the  great  theme  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  Luke  is  "the  Son  of  Man." 

When  the  angel  Gabriel  had  announced  to  Mary 
the  dignity  which  was  about  to  be  conferred  upon 
her,  in  connection  with  the  great  work  of  incarna- 
tion, she,  not  in  a  spirit  of  scepticism,  but  of  honest 
ignorance,  inquired,  "How  shall  this  be,  seeing  I 
know  not  a  man?"  It  manifestly  seemed  to  her 
that  the  birth  of  this  glorious  Person  who  was  about 
to  appear  should  be  according  to  the  ordinary  prin- 
ciples of  generation  ;  and  this  her  thought  is  made 
the  occasion,  in  the  exceeding  goodness  of  God,  of 
developing  much  valuable  light  in  reference  to  the 
cardinal  truth  of  incarnation.  The  angel's  reply  to 
the  virgin's  question  is  unspeakably  interesting,  and 
cannot  be  too  closely  considered.  "And  the  angel 
answered  and  said  unto  her,  '  The  Holy  Ghost  shall 
come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Highest  shall 
overshadow  thee ;  therefore  also  that  holy  Thing 
which  shall  be  born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son 
of  God."  (Lukei.  35.) 


40  LEVITICUS. 

From  this  magnificent  passage,  we  learn  that  the 
human  body  into  which  the  Eternal  Son  entered  was 
formed  by  "the  power  of  the  Highest."  "A  body 
hast  Thou  prepared  Me."  (Comp.  Ps.  xl.  6  withlleb. 
x.  5.)  It  was  a  real  human  body — real  "flesh  and 
blood."  There  is  no  possible  foundation  here  on 
which  gnosticism  or  mysticism  can  base  its  vapid  and 
worthless  theories, — no  warrant  for  the  cold  abstrac- 
tions of  the  former,  or  the  misty  fancies  of  the  latter. 
All  is  deep,  solid,  and  divine  reality:  the  very  thing 
which  our  hearts  needed — the  very  thing  which  God 
has  given.  The  early  promise  had  declared  that 
"the  seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's 
head,"  and  none  but  a  real  man  could  accomplish 
this  prediction — one  whose  nature  was  as  real  as  it 
was  pure  and  incorruptible.  "Thou  shalt  conceive 
in  thy  womb,"  said  the  angelic  messenger,  "and 
bring  forth  a  Son."*  And  then,  lest  there  should 
be  any  room  for  an  error  in  reference  to  the  mode 
of  this  conception,  he  adds  such  words  as  prove, 
unanswerably,  that  the  "flesh  and  blood"  of  which 
the  Eternal  Son  "took  part,"  while  absolutely  real, 
was  absolutely  incapable  of  receiving,  of  retaining, 
or  of  communicating  a  single  taint.  The  humanity 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  wras  emphatically  "that  lioly 
Thing.'"  And  inasmuch  as  it  was  wholly  without 
taint,  it  was  wholly  without  a  seed  of  mortality. 

*"But  when  the  fullness  of  the  time  was  come,  God  sent  forth 
His  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law."  (^EVU/.IEVOV 
f.H  yvvaiKO1-,,  yEvouEvov  VTto  ro/itor.)  This  is  a  most 
important  passage,  inasmuch  as  it  sets  forth  our  blessed  Lord  as 
Son  of  God  and  Son  of  Man.— "God  sent  forth  His  Son,  made 
of  a  woman."  Precious  testimony ! 


CHAPTER    II.  41 

We  cannot  think  of  mortality,  save  in  connection 
with  sin ;  and  Christ's  humanity  had  naught  to  do 
with  sin,  either  personally  or  relatively.  Sin  was 
imputed  to  Him  on  the  cross,  where  He  was  "made 
sin  for  us."  But  the  meat-offering  is  not  the  t}Tpe 
of  Christ  as  a  sin-bearer.  It  foreshadows  Him  in 
His  perfect  life  here  below — a  life  in  which  He  suf- 
fered, no  doubt,  but  not  as  a  sin-bearer — not  as  a 
substitute — not  at  the  hand  of  God.  Let  this  be 
distinctly  noted.  Neither  in  the  burnt-offering  nor 
in  the  meat-offering  have  we  Christ  as  a  sin-bearer. 
In  the  latter,  we  see  Him  living ;  and  in  the  former, 
we  see  Him  dying ;  but  in  neither  is  there  a  question 
of  the  imputation  of  sin,  nor  of  enduring  the  wrath 
of  God  on  account  of  sin.  In  short,  to  present 
Christ  as  the  sinner's  substitute  anywhere  else  save 
on  the  cross,  is  to  rob  His  life  of  all  its  divine  beauty 
and  excellency,  and  to  displace  the  cross  altogether. 
Moreover,  it  would  involve  the  types  of  Leviticus 
in  hopeless  confusion. 

I  would,  at  this  point,  solemnly  admonish  my 
reader,  that  he  cannot  be  too  jealous  in  reference  to 
the  vital  truth  of  the  Person  and  the  relations  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  If  there  be  error  as  to  this, 
there  is  no  security  as  to  any  thing.  God  cannot 
give  the  sanction  of  His  presence  to  aught  that  has 
not  this  truth  for  its  foundation.  The  Person  of 
Christ  is  the  living — the  divine  centre  round  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  carries  on  all  His  operations.  Let 
slip  the  truth  as  to  Him,  and  you  are  like  a  vessel- 
broken  from  its  moorings,  and  carried,  without 


42  LEVITICUS. 

rudder  or  compass,  over  the  wild  watery  waste,  and 
in  imminent  danger  of  being  dashed  to  fragments 
upon  the  rocks  of  Arianism,  Infidelity,  or  Atheism. 
Question  the  eternal  Sonship  of  Christ,  question  His 
deity,  question  His  unspotted  humanity,  and  you 
have  opened  the  floodgate  for  a  desolating  tide  of 
deadly  error  to  rush  in.  Let  no  one  imagine,  for  a 
moment,  that  this  is  a  mere  matter  to  be  discussed  by 
learned  theologians — a  curious  question — a  recondite 
mystery — a  point  about  which  we  may  lawfully  differ. 
No ;  it  is  a  vital,  fundamental  truth,  to  be  held  in 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  maintained  at  the 
expense  of  all  beside— yea,  to  be  confessed  under  all 
circumstances,  whatever  may  be  the  consequences. 

What  we  want,  is,  simply  to  receive  into  our 
hearts,  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Father's 
revelation  of  the  Son,  and  then  our  souls  shall  be 
effectually  preserved  from  the  snares  of  the  enemy, 
let  them  take  what  shape  they  may.  He  may  spe- 
ciously cover  the  trap  of  Arianism  or  Socinianism 
with  the  grass  and  leaves  of  a  most  plausible  and 
attractive  system  of  interpretation  ;  but  directly  the 
devoted  heart  discovers  what  this  system  attempts 
to  make  of  the  blessed  One  to  whom  it  owes  every 
thing,  and  where  it  attempts  to  put  Him,  it  finds 
but  little  difficulty  in  sending  it  back  to  where  it 
manifestly  came  from.  We  can  well  afford  to  do 
without  human  theories  ;  but  we  can  never  do  with- 
out Christ— the  Christ  of  God— the  Christ  of  God's 
affections — the  Christ  of  God's  counsels — the  Christ 
of  God's  word. 


CHAPTER    II.  43 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  God's  eternal  Son — a 
distinct  Person  in  the  glorious  Trinity — God  mani- 
fest in  the  flesh — God  over  all,  blessed  forever, 
assumed  a  body  which  was  inherently  and  divinely 
pure,  holy,  and  without  the  possibility  of  taint — 
absolutely  free  from  every  seed  or  principle  of  sin 
and  mortality.  Such  was  the  humanity  of  Christ, 
that  He  could  at  any  moment,  so  far  as  He  was 
personally  concerned,  have  returned  to  heaven,  from 
whence  He  had  come  and  to  which  He  belonged.  I 
speak  not  here  of  the  eternal  counsels  of  redeeming 
love,  or  of  the  unswerving  love  of  the  heart  of  Jesus 
— His  love  to  God — His  love  to  God's  elect,  or  of 
the  work  that  was  needful  to  ratify  God's  everlasting 
covenant  with  the  seed  of  Abraham  and  with  the 
whole  creation.  Christ's  own  words  teach  us  that 
"it  behoved  Him  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the  dead 
the  third  day."  (Luke  xxiv.  46.)  It  was  necessary 
that  He  should  suffer,  in  order  to  the  full  manifesta- 
tion and  perfect  accomplishment  of  the  great  mys- 
tery of  redemption.  It  was  His  gracious  purpose 
to  "bring  many  sons  unto  glory."  He  would  not 
"abide  alone,"  and  therefore  He,  as  the  "corn  of 
wheat, ' '  should  ' '  fall  into  the  ground  and  die. ' '  The 
more  fully  we  enter  into  the  truth  of  His  Person,  the 
more  fully  do  we  apprehend  the  grace  of  His  work. 

When  the  apostle  speaks  of  Christ's  being  "made 
perfect  through  suffering,"  it  is  as  "the  Captain  of 
our  salvation "  that  he  contemplates  Him,  and  not 
as  the  Eternal  Son,  who,  as  regards  His  own  abstract 
Person  and  nature,  was  divinely  perfect,  and  could 


44  LEVITICUS. 

not  possibly  have  aught  added  to  Him.  So,  also, 
when  He  Himself  says,  "Behold,  I  cast  "out  devils, 
and  I  do  cures  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the  third 
day  I  shall  be  perfected"  (Lukexiii.  32.),  He  refers 
to  His  being  perfected,  in  the  power  of  resurrection, 
as  the  Accomplisher  of  the  entire  work  of  redemp- 
tion. So  far  as  He  was  personally  concerned,  He 
could  say,  even  on  His  way  forth  from  the  garden 
of  Gethsemane,  "Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  now 
pray  to  My  Father,  and  He  shall  presently  give  Me 
more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels  ?  But  how  then 
shall  the  Scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that  thus  it  must 
be?"  (Matt.  xxvi.  53,  54.) 

It  is  well  that  the  soul  be  clear  as  to  this — well  to 
have  a  divine  sense  of  the  harmony  which  exists 
between  those  scriptures  which  present  Christ  in 
the  essential  dignity  of  His  Person  and  the  divine 
purity  of  His  nature,  and  those  which  present  Him 
in  His  relation  with  His  people  and  as  accomplishing 
the  great  work  of  redemption.  At  times  we  find 
both  these  things  combined  in  the  same  passage,  as 
in  Heb.  v.  8,  9, — "Though  He  were  a  Son,  yet 
learned  He  obedience  by  the  things  which  He  suf- 
fered ;  and  being  made  perfect,  He  became  the 
author  of  eternal  salvation  to  all  them  that  obey 
Him."  We  must,  however,  bear  in  mind  that  not 
one  of  those  relations  into  which  .Christ  voluntarily 
entered — whether  as  the  expression  of  divine  love 
to  a  lost  world,  or  the  Servant  of  the  divine  counsels 
— not  one  of  these  could  possibly  interfere  with  the 
essential  purity,  excellency,  and  glory  of  His  Person. 


CHAPTER    II.  45 

"The  Holy  Ghost  came  upon"  the  virgin,  and  "the 
power  of  the  Highest  overshadowed  her;"  and 
"therefore  that  holy  Thing  which  was  born  of  her 
was  called  the  Son  of  God."  Most  magnificent 
unfolding,  this,  of  the  deep  secret  of  Christ's  pure 
and  perfect  humanity — the  great  Antitype  of  the 
k  ''fine  flour  mingled  with  oil ' '  ! 

And  here  let  me  observe,  that  between  humanity 
as  seen  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  humanity  as 
seen  in  us  there  could  be  no  union.  That  which  is 
pure  could  never  coalesce  with  that  which  is  impure. 
That  which  is  incorruptible  could  never  unite  with 
that  ^yhich  is  corruptible.  The  spiritual  and  the 
carnal — the  heavenly  and  the  earthly — could  never 
combine.  Hence,  therefore,  it  follows  that  incarna- 
tion was  not,  as  some  have  attempted  to  teach, 
Christ's  taking  our  fallen  nature  into  union  with 
Himself.  If  He  could  have  done  this,  there,  would 
have  been  no  need  of  the  death  of  the  cross.  He 
needed  not,  in  that  case,  to  feel  "straitened"  until 
the  baptism  was  accomplished — the  corn  of  wheat 
did  not  need  to  "fall  into  the  ground  and  die." 
This  is  a  point  of  grave  moment.  Let  the  spiritual 
mind  ponder  it  deeply.  Christ  could  not  possibly 
take  sinful  humanity  into  union  with  Himself.  Hear 
what  the  angel  saith  to  Joseph,  in  the  first  chapter 
of  Matthew's  gospel, — "Joseph,  thou  son  of  David, 
fear  not  to  take  unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife ;  for  that 
which  is  conceived  in  ifer  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'"  See 
how  Joseph's  natural  sensibilities,  as  well  as  Mary's 
pious  ignorance,  are  made  the  occasion  of  a  fuller 


46  LEVITICUS. 

unfolding  of  the  holy  mystery  of  Christ's  humanity ; 
and  also  of  guarding  that  humanity  against  all  the 
blasphemous  attacks  of  the  enemy. 

How,  then,  is  it  that  believers  are  united  to 
Christ?  Is  it  in  incarnation,  or  resurrection?  In 
resurrection,  assuredly.  How  is  this  proved  ?  ' '  Ex- 
cept a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die, 
it  abideth  alone."  (John  xii.  24.)  At  this  side  of 
death,  there  could  be  no  union  between  Christ  and 
His  people.  It  is  in  the  power  of  a  new  life  that 
believers  are  united  to  Christ.  They  were  dead 
in  sin,  and  He,  in  perfect  grace,  came  down  and 
(though  Himself  pure  and  sinless)  was  i'made 
sin,"  "died  unto  sin,"  put  it  away,  rose  triumphant 
over  it  and  all  pertaining  to  it,  and,  in  resurrection, 
became  the  Head  of  a  new  race.  Adam  was  the 
head  of  the  old  creation,  which  fell  with  him. 
Christ,  by  dying,  put  Himself  under  the  full  weight 
of  His  people's  condition,  and  having  perfectly  met 
all  that  was  against  them,  rose  victorious  over  all, 
and  carried  them  with  Him  into  the  new  creation,  of 
which  He  is  the  glorious  Head  and  Centre.  Hence, 
we  read,  "He  that  is  joined  unto  the  Lord  is  one 
spirit."  (1  Cor.  vi.  17.)  "But  God,  who  is  rich  in 
mercy,  for  His  great  love  wherewith  He  loved  us, 
even  when  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us 
together  ^vith  Christ,  (by  grace  ye  are  saved;)  and 
hath  raised  us  up  together,  and  made  us  sit  together 
in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus."  (Eph.  ii.  4-6.) 
"For  we  are  members  of  His  body,  of  His  flesh, 
and  of  His  bones."  (Eph.  v.  30.)  "And  you,  being 


CHAPTER    H.  47 

dead  in  your  sins  and  the  uncircumcision  of  your 
flesh,  hath  He  quickened  together  with  Him,  having 
forgiven  you  all  trespasses."  (Col.  ii.  13.) 

Passages  might  be  multiplied,  but  the  above  are 
amply  sufficient  to  prove  that  it  was  not  in  incarna- 
tion, but  in  death,  that  Christ  took  a  position  in 
which  His  people  could  be  "quickened  together 
with  Him."  Does  this  seem  unimportant  to  the 
reader?  Let  him  examine  it  in  the  light  of  Scrip- 
ture. Let  him  weigh  all  the  consequences.  Let 
him  view  it  in  its  bearing  upon  Christ's  Person, 
upon  His  life,  upon  His  death,  upon  our  condition 
by  nature  in  the  old  creation,  and  our  place  through 
mercy  in  the  new.  Let  him  consider  it  thus,  and 
I  feel  persuaded  he  will  no  longer  regard  it  as  a 
light  matter.  Of  one  thing,  at  least,  he  may  rest 
assured,  that  the  writer  of  these  pages  would  not 
pen  a  single  line  to  prove  this  point  did  he  not 
consider  it  to  be  fraught  with  the  most  momentous 
fesults.  The  whole  of  divine  revelation  so  hangs 
together — is  so  adjusted  by  the  hand  of  the  Holy 
Ghost — is  so  consistent  in  all  its  parts,  that  if  one 
truth  be  disturbed,  the  entire  arch  is  injured.  This 
consideration  should  suffice  to  produce,  in  the  mind 
of  every  Christian,  a  holy  caution,  lest,  by  some 
rude  touch,  he  mat-  the  beauteous  superstructure. 
Every  stone  must  be  left  in  its  divinely  appointed 
place  ;  and,  unquestionably,  the  truth  as  to  Christ's 
Person  is  the  kej'-stone  of  the  arch. 

Having  thus  endeavored  to  unfold  the  truth  typ- 
ified by  the  "fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,"  we  may 
5 


48  LEVITICUS. 

remark  another  point  of  much  interest  in  the  ex 
pression,  "He  shall  pour  oil  upon  it."  In  this  we 
have  a  type  of  the  anointing  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  body  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  was  not  merely  formed  mysteriously  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  but  that  pure  and  holy  vessel  was 
also  anointed  for  service  by  the  same  power.  "And 
it  came  to  pass  when  all  the  people  were  baptized, 
and  Jesus  also  being  baptized,  and  praying,  the 
heaven  was  opened,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended 
in  a  bodily  shape  as  a  dove  upon  Him,  and  there 
was  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  'Thou  art  My 
beloved  Son;  in  Thee  I  am  well  pleased."  (Luke 
iii.  21,  22.) 

The  anointing  of  the  Lord  Jesus  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
previous  to  His  entrance  upon  His  public  ministry 
is  of  immense  practical  importance  to  every  one  who 
really  desires  to  be  a  true  and  an  effectual  servant 
of  God.  Though  conceived,  as  to  His  manhood,  by 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  though,  in  His  own  proper  Person, 
"God  manifest  in  the  flesh;"  though  embodying 
in  Himself  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead ;  yet,  be 
it  well  observed,  when  coming  forth  as  man  to  do 
the  will  of  God  on  the  earth,  whatever  that  will 
might  be — whether  preaching  the  gospel,  teaching 
in  the  synagogues,  healing  the  sick,  cleansing  the 
leper,  casting  out  devils,  feeding  the  hungry,  or 
raising  the  dead — He  did  all  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
That  holy  and  heavenly  vessel  in  which  God  the  Son 
was  pleased  to  appear  in  this  world  was  formed, 
filled,  anointed,  and  led  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 


CHAPTER    II.  49 

What  a  deep  and  holy  lesson  for  us  !  A  most 
needful  and  salutary  lesson  !  How  prone  are  we  to 
run  unsent!  How  prone  fb  act  in  the  mere  energy 
of  the  flesh !  How  much  of  that  which  looks  like 
ministry  is  only  the  restless  and  unhallowed  activity 
of  a  nature  which  has  never  been  measured  and 
judged  in  the  divine  presence!  Truly,  we  need  to 
contemplate  more  closely  our  divine  " meat-offering" 
— to  understand  more  fully  the  meaning  of  the  "fine 
flour  anointed  with  oil."  We  need  to  meditate  more 
deeply  upon  Christ  Himself,  who,  though  possessing, 
in  His  own  Person,  divine  power,  nevertheless,  did 
all  His  work,  wrought  all  His  mil 
"offered  Himself,  without 
nal  Spirit."  He  could 
cast  out  devils." 

Nothing  is  of  any  vakie  s^q^iatwhle'H'  is 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Gh 
but  if  his  pen  be  not  guided  ancusetl  by"tne  Holy 
Ghost,  his  lines  will  produce  no  permanent  results. 
A  man  may  speak  ;  but  if  his  lips  be  not  anointed 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  his  word  will  not  take  perma- 
nent root.  This  is  a  solemn  consideration,  and  if 
properly  weighed,  would  lead  to  much  watchfulness 
over  ourselves,  and  much  earnest  dependence  upon 
the  Holy  Ghost.  What  we  need  is  thorough  self- 
emptiness,  so  that  there  may  be  room  left  for  the 
Spirit  to  act  by  us.  It  is  impossible  that  a  man  full 
of  himself  can  be  the  vessel  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Such  an  one  must  first  be  emptied  of  himself,  and 
then  the  Spirit  can  use  him.  When  we  contemplate 


50  LEVITICUS. 

the  Person  and  ministry  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  we  see 
how  that  in  -every  scene  and  circumstance  He  acted 
by  the  direct  power  of  "the  Holy  Ghost.  Having 
taken  His  place  as  man  down  here,  He  showed  that 
man  should  not  only  live  by  the  Word,  but  act  by 
the  Spirit  of  God.  Even  though,  as  man,  His  will 
was  perfect — His  thoughts,  His  words,  His  acts,  all 
perfect — yet  He  would  not  act  save  by  the  direct 
authority  of  the  Word,  and  by  the  direct  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Oh  that  in  this,  as  in  every  thing 
else,  we  could  more  closely,  more  faithfully,  follow 
in  His  steps  !  Then,  indeed,  would  our  ministry 
be  more  effective,  our  testimony  more  fruitful,  our 
whole  course  more  entirely  to  the  glory  of  God. 

The  next  ingredient  in  the  meat-offering  demand- 
ing our  consideration  is  "the  frankincense."  As 
has  been  remarked,  the  "fiife  flour"  was  the  basis 
of  the  offering.  The  "oil'*  and  "frankincense" 
were  the  two  leading  adjuncts  ;  and,  truly,  the  con- 
nection between  these  two  latter  is  most  instructive. 
The  "oil"  typifies  the  power  of  Christ's  ministry; 
the  "frankincense"  typifies  the  object  thereof.  The 
former  teaches  us  that  He  did  every  thing  by  the 
Spirit  of  God ;  the  latter,  that  He  did  every  thing 
to  the  glory  of  God.  The  frankincense  presents 
that  in  the  life  of  Christ  which  was  exclusively  for 
God.  This  is  evident  from  the  second  verse — "And 
he  shall  bring  it  [the  meat-offering]  to  Aaron's  sons, 
the  priests :  and  he  shall  take  thereout  his  handful 
of  flour  thereof,  and  of  the  oil  thereof,  with  all  the 
frankincense  thereof;  and  the  priest  shall  burn  the 


CHAPTER    II.  51 

memorial  of  it  upon  the  altar,  to  be  an  offering  made 
by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savor  unto  the  Lord."  Thus  was 
it  in  the  true  meat-offering — the  Man  Christ  Jesus. 
There  was  that  in  His  blessed  life  which  was  exclu- 
sively for  God.  Every  thought,  every  word,  every 
look,  every  act  of  His  emitted  a  fragrance,  which 
went  up  immediately  to  God.  And  as,  in  the  type, 
it  was  the  "fire  of  the  altar"  that  drew  forth  the 
sweet  odor  of  the  frankincense  ;  so,  in  the  Antitj-pe," 
the  more  He  was  "tried,"  in  all  the  scenes  and 
circumstances  of  His  blessed  life,  the  more  fully 
was  it  manifested  that,  in  His  manhood,  there  was 
nothing  that  could  not  ascend  as  an  odor  of  a  sweet 
smell  to  the  throne  of  God.  If  in  the  burnt-offering 
wre  behold  Christ  "offering  Himself  without  spot  to 
God, "in  Hi  meat-offering  we  behold  Him  present- 
ing all  the  intrinsic  excellence  and  perfect  actings 
of  His  human  nature  to  God.  A  perfect,  a  self- 
emptied,  an  obedient  Man  on  the  earth  doing  the 
will  of  God,  acting  by  the  authority  of  the  Word, 
and  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  had  a  sweet  odor 
which  could  only  be  for  divine  acceptance.  The 
fact  that  "all  the  frankincense"  was  consumed  on 
the  altar,  fixes  its  import  in  the  simplest  manner. 

It  now  only  remains  for  us  to  consider  an  in- 
gredient which  was  an  inseparable  adjunct  of  the 
meat-offering,  namely,  "salt." — "And  every  obla- 
tion of  thy  meat-offering  shalt  thou  season  with  salt ; 
neither  shalt  thou  suffer  the  salt  of  the  covenant  of 
thy  God  to  be  lacking  from  thy  meat-offering:  with 
all  thine  offerings  thou  shalt  offer  salt."  The  ex- 


52  LEVITICUS. 

pression,  "Salt  of  the  covenant,"  sets  forth  the 
enduring  character  of  that  covenant.  God  Himself 
has  so  ordained  it,  in  all  things,  that  naught  can 
ever  alter  it — no  influence  can  ever  corrupt  it.  In  a 
spiritual  and  practical  point  of  view,  it  is  impossible 
to  overestimate  the  value  of  such  an  ingredient. 
"Let  your  conversation  be  always  with  grace,  sea- 
soned with  salt.'9  The  whole  conversation  of  the 
Perfect  Man  exhibited  the  power  of  this  principle. 
His  words  were  not  merely  words  of  grace,  but 
words  of  pungent  power — words  divinely  adapted  to 
preserve  from  all  taint  and  corrupting  influence. 
He  never  uttered  a  word  which  was  not  redolent 
with  "frankincense,"  and  "seasoned  with  salt." 
The  former  was  most  acceptable  to  God  ;  the  latter, 
most  profitable  for  man. 

Sometimes,  alas!  man's  corrupt  heart  and  vitiated 
taste  could  not  tolerate  the  pungency  of  the  divinely- 
salted  meat-offering.  Witness,  for  example,  the  scene 
in  the  synagogue  of  Nazareth.  (Luke  iv.  16-29.) 
The  people  could  "bear  Him  witness,  and  wonder 
at  the  gracious  words  which  proceeded  out  of  His 
mouth;"  but  when  He  proceeded  to  season  those 
words  with  salt,  which  was  so  needful  in  order  to 
preserve  them  from  the  corrupting  influence  of  their 
national -pride,  they  would  fain  have  cast  Him  over 
the  brow  of  the  hill  whereon  their  city  was  built. 

So,  also,  in  Luke  xiv,  when  His  words  of  "grace" 
had  drawn  "great  multitudes"  after  Him,  He  in- 
stantly throws  in  the  "salt,"  by  setting  forth,  in 
words  of  holy  faithfulness,  the  sure  results  of  follow- 


CHAPTER    IT.  53 

ing  Him.  "Come,  for  all  things  are  now  ready," — 
here  was  the  "grace  ;  "  but  then,  "Whosoever  for- 
sake th  not  all  that  he  hath,  cannot  be  My  disciple," 
— here  was  the  "salt."  Grace  is  attractive;  but 
"salt  is  good."  Gracious  discourse  maybe  popu- 
lar ;  but  salted  discourse  never  will.  The  pure 
gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  may ,  at  certain  times, 
and  under  certain  circumstances,  be  run  after  by 
"the  multitude"  for  awhile;  but  when  the  "salt" 
of  a  fervid  and  faithful  application  is  introduced, 
it  will  soon  thin  the  benches  of  all  save  such  as  are 
brought  under  the  power  of  the  Word. 

Having  thus  considered  the  ingredients  which 
composed  the  meat-offering,  we  shall  now  refer  to 
those  which  were  excluded  from  it. 

The  first  of  these  was  "leaven."  "No  meat- 
offering, which  ye  shall  bring  unto  the  Lord,  shall 
be  made  with  leaven."  This  ingredient  is  used 
throughout  the  inspired  volume,  without  so  much 
as  a  single  exception,  as  the  symbol  of  evil.  In 
chap,  xxiii.  of  our  book,  which  will  be  noticed  in 
due  course,  we  find  leaven  admitted  in  the  two 
loaves  which  were  offered  on  the  day  of  Pentecost ; 
but  from  the  meat-offering  leaven  was  most  sedu- 
lously excluded.  There  was  to  be  nothing  sour — 
nothing  that  would  puff  up — nothing  expressive  of 
evil  in  that  which  typified  "the  Man  Christ  Jesus." 
In  Him,  there  could  be  nothing  savoring  of  nature's 
sourness,  nothing  turgid — nothing  inflated :  all  was 
pure,  solid,  and  genuine.  His  word  might,  at  times, 
cut  to  the  quick ;  but  it  was  never  sour.  His  style 


54  LEVITICUS. 

never  rose  above  the  occasion.  His  deportment 
ever  exhibited  the  deep  reality  of  one  walking  in  the 
immediate  presence  of  God. 

In  those  who  bear  the  name  of  Jesus,  we  know, 
too  well,  alas!  how  leaven  shows  itself  in  all  its 
properties  and  effects.  There  has  been  but  one 
untainted  sheaf  of  human  fruit — but  one  perfectly 
unleavened  meat-offering;  and,  blessed  be  God, 
that  one  is  ours — ours  to  feed  upon  in  the  sanctuary 
of  the  divine  presence,  in  fellowship  with  God. 
No  exercise  can  be  more  truly  edifying  and  refresh- 
ing for  the  renewed  mind  than  to  dwell  upon  the 
unleavened  perfectness  of  Christ's  humanity — to 
contemplate  the  life  and  ministry  of  One  who  was 
absolutely  and  essentially  unleavened.  In  all  His 
springs  of  thought,  affection,  desire,  and  imagina- 
tion, there  was  not  so  much  as  a  particle  of  leaven. 
He  was  the  sinless,  spotless,  perfect  Man.  And 
the  more  we  are  enabled,  by  the  power  of  the 
Spirit,  to  enter  into  all  this,  the  deeper  will  be  our 
experience  of  the  grace  which  led  this  perfect  One 
to  place  Himself  under  the  full  consequences  of  His 
people's  sins,  as  He  did  when  He  hung  upon  the 
cross.  This  thought,  however,  belongs  entirely  to 
the  sin-offering  aspect  of  our  blessed  Lord.  In  the 
meat-offering,  sin  is  not  in  question.  It  is  not  the 
type  of  a  sin-bearer,  but  of  a  real,  perfect,  unblem- 
ished Man,  conceived  and  anointed  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  possessing  an  unleavened  nature,  and  living 
an  unleavened  life  down  here,  emitting  ever  God- 
ward  the  fragrance  of  His  own  personal  excellency, 


CHAPTER   II.  55 

and  maintaining  amongst  men  a  deportment  char- 
acterized by  "grace  seasoned  with  salt." 

But  there  was  another  ingredient,  as  positively 
excluded  from  the  meat-offering  as  "leaven,"  and 
that  was  u honey." — "For  ye  shall  burn  no  leaven, 
nor  any  honey,  in  any  offering  of  the  Lord  made  by 
fire."  (Yer.  11.)  Now,  as  "leaven"  is  the  expres- 
sion of  that  which  is  positively  and  palpably  evil  in 
nature,  we  may  regard  "honey"  as  the  significant 
symbol  of  that  which  is  apparently  sweet  and  at- 
tractive. Both  are  disallowed  of  God,  both  were 
carefully  excluded  from  the  meat-offering,  both  were 
unfit  for  the  altar.  Men  may  undertake,  like  Saul, 
to  distinguish  between  what  is  "vile  and  refuse" 
and  what  is  not ;  but  the  judgment  of  God  ranks 
the  delicate  Agag  with  the  vilest  of  the  sons  of 
Amalek.  No-  doubt,  there  are  some  good  moral 
qualities  in  man,  which  must  be  taken  for  what  they 
are  worth.  "Hast  thou  found  honey ,  eat  so  much 
as  is  convenient ;  "  but,  be  it  remembered,  it  found 
no  place  in  the  meat-offering,  nor  in  its  Antit3*pe. 
There  was  the  fullness  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  there  was 
the  fragrant  odor  of  the  frankincense,  there  was  the 
preservative  virtue  of  "the  salt  of  the  covenant," — 
.all  these  things  accompanied  the  "fine  flour"  in 
the  Person  of  the  true  "Meat-offering,"  but  "no 
honey." 

What  a  lesson  for  the  heart  is  here  !  yea,  what  a 
volume  of  wholesome  instruction  !  The  blessed 
Lord  Jesus  knew  how  to  give  nature  and  its  rela- 
tionships their  proper  place:  He  knew  how  much 


5C  LEVITICUS. 

"honey"  was  "convenient."  He  could  say  to  His 
mother,  "Wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  My 
Father's  business?"  and  }-et  He  could  say,  again, 
to  the  beloved  disciple,  "Behold  thy  mother."  In 
other  words,  nature's  claims  were  never  allowed  to 
interfere  with  the  presentation  to  God  of  all  the 
energies  of  Christ's  perfect  manhood.  Maryland 
others  too,  might  have  thought  that  her  human 
relation  to  the  blessed  One  gave  her  some  peculiar 
claim  or  influence,  on  merely  natural  grounds. 
"There  came,  then,  His  brethren  ["after  the 
flesh"]  and  His  mother,  and  standing  without,  sent 
unto  Him,  calling  Him.  And  the  multitude  sat 
about  Him  ;  and  they  said  unto  Him,  "Behold,  Thy 
mother  and  Thy  brethren  without  seek  for  Thee.' ' 
What  was  the  reply  of  the  true  Meat-offering  ?  Did 
He  at  once  abandon  His  work,  in  order  to  respond 
to  nature's  call  ?  By  no  means.  Had  He  done  so, 
it  would  have  been  to  mingle  "honey"  with  the 
meat-offering,  which  could  not  be.  The  honey  was 
faithfully  excluded  on  this  as  on  every  occasion 
when  God's  claims  were  to  be  attended  to,  and 
instead  thereof,  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  the  odor  of 
the  "frankincense,"  and  the  virtues  of  the  "salt" 
were  blessedly  exhibited.  "And  he  answered  them,- 
saying,  i  Who  is  My  mother,  or  My  brethren  ? '  And 
He  looked  round  about  on  them  which  sat  about 
Him,  and  said,  'Behold  My  mother  and  My  breth- 
ren !  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the 
same  is  M}^  brother,  and  My  sister,  and  mother. '  ' 
(Mark  ill.  31-35.)  (* Note,  next  page.) 


CHAPTER    II.  57 

There  are  few  things  which  the  servant  of^  Christ 
finds  more  difficult  than  to  adjust,  with  spiritual 
accuracy,  the  claims  of  natural  relationship,  so  as 
not  to  suffer  them  to  interfere  with  the  claims  of 
the  Master.  In  the  case  of  our  blessed  Lord,  as 
we  know,  the  adjustment  was  divine.  In  our  case, 
it  often  happens  that  divinely  recognized  duties  are 
openly  neglected  for  what  we  imagine  to  be  the 
service  of  Christ, — the  doctrine  of  God  is  constantly 
sacrificed  to  the  apparent  work  of  the  gospel.  Now, 
it  is  well  to  remember  that  true  devotedness  always 

*How  important  to  see,  in  the  above  beautiful  passage,  that 
doing  God's  will  brings  the  soul  into  a  relationship  with  Christ  of 
which  His  brethren  according  to  the  flesh  knew  nothing,  on  merely 
natural  grounds !  It  was  as  true  with  respect  to  those  brethren  as 
any  one  else  that  "  except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God."  Mary  would  not  have  been  saved  by  the  mere 
fact  of  her  being  the  mother  of  Jesus.  She  needed  personal  faith 
in  Christ  as  much  as  any  other  member  of  Adam's  fallen  family: 
she  needed  to  pass,  by  being  born  again,  out  of  the  old  creation 
into  the  new.  It  was  by  treasuring  up  Christ's  words  in  her  heart 
that  this  blessed  woman  was  saved.  No  doubt  she  was  "highly 
favored"  in  being  chosen  as  a  vessel  to  such  a  holy  office;  but 
then,  as  a  lost  sinner,  she  needed  to  "rejoice  in  God  her  Saviour," 
like  any  one  else.  She  stands  on  the  same  platform,  is  washed  in 
the  same  blood,  clothed  in  the  same  righteousness,  and  will  sing 
the  same  song  as  all  the  rest  of  God's  redeemed. 

This  simple  fact  will  give  additional  force  and  clearness  to  a 
point  already  stated,  namely,  that  incarnation  was  not  Christ's 
taking  our  nature  into  union  with  Himself.  This  truth  should  be 
carefully  pondered.  It  is  fully  brought  out  in  2  Cor.  v.— "For  the 
love  of  Christ  constraineth  us ;  because  we  thus  judge,  that  if  one 
died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead :  and  that  He  died  for  all,  that  they 
which  live  should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
Him  which  died  for  them,  and  rose  again.  Wherefore  henceforth 
know  we  no  man  after  the  flesh;  yea,  though  u-e  have  known  Christ 
after  the  flesh,  yet  now  henceforth  knoiv  u-e  Him  no  more.  Therefore 
if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creation :  old  things  are  passed 
away;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new."  (Ver.  14-17.) 


58  LEVITICUS. 

starts  from  a  point  within  which  all  godly  claims 
are  fully  secured.  If  I  hold  a  situation  which  de- 
mands my  services  from  ten  till  four  every  day,  I 
have  no  right  to  go  out  to  visit  or  preach  during 
those  hours.  If  I  am  in  business,  I  am  bound  to 
maintain  the  integrity  of  that  business  in  a  godly 
manner.  I  have  no  right  to  run  hither  and  thither 
preaching  while  my  business  at  home  lies  "in  sixes 
and  sevens,"  bringing  great  reproach  on  the  holy 
doctrine  of  God.  A  man  may  say,  I  feel  m}'self 
called  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  I  find  my  situation, 
or  my  business,  a  clog.  Well,  if  you  are  divinely 
called  and  fitted  for  the  work  of  the  gospel,  and  that 
you  cannot  combine  the  two  things,  then  resign 
your  situation,  or  wind  up  your  business,  in  a  godly 
manner,  and  go  forth  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
But,  clearly,  so  long  as  I  hold  a  situation,  or  carry 
on  a  business,  my  work  in  the  gospel  must  begin 
from  a  point  within  which  the  godly  claims  of  such 
business  or  situation  are  fully  responded  to.  This 
is  devotedness:  aught  else  is  confusion,  however 
well  intended.  Blessed  be  God,  we  have  a  perfect 
example  before  us  in  the  life  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
ample  guidance  for  the  new  man  in  the  Word  of 
God ;  so  that  we  need  not  make  any  mistakes  in  the 
varied  relationships  which  we  may  be  called,  in  the 
providence  of  God,  to  fill,  or  as  to  the  various  claims 
which  God's  moral  government  has  set  up  in  con- 
nection with  such  relationships. 

II.    The  second  point  in  our  theme  is  the  mode 
in  which  the  meat-offering  was  prepared.   This  was, 


CHAPTER    II.  59 

as  we  read,  by  the  action  of  fire, — it  was  "baken  in 
an  oven" — "baken  in  a  pan,"  or  "baken  in  a 
fiying-pan."  The  process  of  baking  suggests  the 
idea  of  suffering.  But  inasmuch  as  the  meat-offering 
is  called  "a  sweet  savor"  (a  term  which  is  never 
applied  to  the  sin-offering  or  trespass-offering),  it  is 
evident  that  there  is  no  thought  of  suffering  for  sin 
— no  thought  of  suffering  the  wrath  of  God  on 
account  of  sin — no  thought  of  suffering  at  the  hand 
of  Infinite  Justice,  as  the  sinner's  substitute.  The 
two  ideas  of  "sweet  savor"  and  suffering  for  sin 
are  wholly  incompatible  according  to  the  Levitical 
economy.  It  would  completely  destro}7  the  t}'pe  of 
the  meat-offering  were  we  to  introduce  into  it  the 
idea  of  suffering  for  sin. 

In  contemplating  the  life  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
which,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  is  the  special 
subject  foreshadowed  in  the  meat-offering,  we  may 
notice  three  distinct  kinds  of  suffering,  namely, 
suffering  for  righteousness,  suffering  by  the  power 
of  sympathy,  and  suffering  in  anticipation. 

As  the  righteous  Servant  of  God,  He  suffered  in 
the  midst  of  a  scene  in  which  all  was  contrary  to 
Him  ;  but  this  was  the  very  opposite  of  suffering 
for  sin.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  distin- 
guish between  these  two  kinds  of  suffering.  The 
confounding  of  them  must  lead  to  serious  error. 
Suffering  as  a  righteous  One  standing  amongst  men 
on  God's  behalf  is  one  thing,  and  suffering  instead 
of  man  under  the  hand  of  God  is  quite  another. 
The  Lord  Jesus  suffered  for  righteousness  during 


60  LEVITICUS. 

His  life :  He  suffered  for  sin  in  His  death.  During 
His  life,  man  and  Satan  did  their  utmost ;  and  even 
at  the  cross  they  put  forth  all  their  powers ;  but 
when  all  that  they  could  do  was  done — when  they 
had  traveled,  in  their  deadly  enmity,  to  the  utmost 
limit  of  human  and  diabolical  opposition,  there  lay, 
far  bej^ond,  a  region  of  impenetrable  gloom  and 
horror  into  which  the  Sin-bearer  had  to  travel,  in 
the  accomplishment  of  His  work.  During  His 
life,  He  ever  walked  in  the  unclouded  light  of  the 
divine  countenance;  but  on  the  cursed  tree,  the 
dark  shadow  of  sin  intervened  and  shut  out  that 
light,  and  drew  forth  that  mysterious  cry,  "My 
God,  My  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  Me?"  This 
was  a  moment  which  stands  absolutely  alone  in  the 
annals  of  eternity.  From  time  to  time  during  the 
life  of  Christ  down  here,  heaven  had  opened  to  give 
forth  the  expression  of  divine  complacency  in  Him ; 
but  on  the  cross,  God  forsook  Him,  because  He  was 
making  His  soul  an  offering  for  sin.  If  Christ  had 
been  a  sin-bearer  all  His  life,  then  what  was  the 
difference  between  the  cross  and  any  other  period  ? 
Why  was  He  not  forsaken  of  God  during  His  entire 
course  ?  What  was  the  difference  between  Christ  on 
the  cross,  and  Christ  on  the  holy  mount  of  transfig- 
uration ?  Was  He  forsaken  of  God  on  the  mount  ? 
was  He  a  sin-bearer  there  ?  These  are  very  simple 
questions,  which  should  be  answered  by  those  who 
maintain  the  idea  of  a  life  of  sin-bearing. 

The  plain  fact  is  this :  there  was  nothing  either  in 
Christ's  humanity  or  in  the  nature  of  His  associa- 


CHAPTER   II.  61 

which  could  possibly  connect  Him  with  sin,  or 
wrath,  or  death.  He  was 4 '  made  sin ' '  on  the  cross  ; 
and  there  He  endured  the  wrath  of  God,  and  there 
He  gave  np  His  life,  as  an  all-sufficient  atonement 
for  sin  ;  but  nothing  of  this  finds  a  place  in  the 
meat-offering.  True,  we  have  the  process  of  baking 
— the  action  of  fire ;  but  this  is  not  the  wrath  of 
God.  The  meat-offering  was  not  a  sin-offering, 
but  a  "sweet  savor"  offering.  Thus,  its  import 
is  definitely  fixed ;  and,  moreover,  the  intelligent 
interpretation  of  it  must  ever  guard,  with  holy 
jealousy,  the  precious  truth  of  Christ's  spotless 
humanity,  and  the  true  nature  of  His  associations. 
To  make  Him,  by  the  necessity  of  His  birth,  a 
sin-bearer,  or  to  place  Him  thereby  under  the 
curse  of  the  law  and  the  wrath  of  God,  is  to  con- 
tradict the  entire  truth  of  God  as  to  incarnation- 
truth  announced  by  the  angel,  and  repeated  again 
and  again  by  the  inspired  apostle.  Moreover,  it 
destroys  the  entire  character  and  object  of  Christ's 
life,  and  robs  the  cross  of  its  distinctive  glory.  It 
lowers  the  sense  of  what  sin  is,  and  of  what  atone- 
ment is.  In  one  word,  it  removes  the  key-stone  of 
the  arch  of  revelation,  and  lays  all  in  hopeless  ruin 
and  confusion  around  us. 

But,  again,  the  Lord  Jesus  suffered  by  the  power 
of  sympathy  ;  and  this  character  of  suffering  unfolds 
to  us  the  deep  secrets  of  His  tender  heart.  Human 
sorrow  and  human  misery  ever  touched  a  chord  in 
that  bosom  of  love.  It  was  impossible  that  a  per- 
fect human  heart  could  avoid  feeling,  according  to 


62  LEVITICUS. 

its  own  divine  sensibilities,  the  miseries  which  sin 
had  entailed  upon  the  human  family.  Though  per- 
sonally free  both  from  the  cause  and  the  effect — 
though  belonging  to  heaven,  and  living  a  perfect 
heavenly  life  on  the  earth,  yet  did  He  descend,  by 
the  power  of  an  intense  sympathy,  into  the  deepest 
depths  of  human  sorrow ;  yea,  He  felt  the  sorrow 
more  keenly,  by  far,  than  those  who  were  the  direct 
subjects  thereof,  inasmuch  as  His  humanity  was 
perfect.  And,  further,  He  was  able  to  contemplate 
both  the  sorrow  and  its  cause  according  to  their 
just  measure  and  character  in  the  presence  of  God. 
He  felt  as  none  else  could  feel.  His  feelings,  His 
affections,  His  sensibilities,  His  whole  moral  and 
mental  constitution,  were  perfect;  and  hence  none 
can  tell  what  such  an  One  must  have  suffered  in 
passing  through  such  a  world  as  this.  He  beheld 
the  human  family  struggling  beneath  the  ponderous 
weight  of  guilt  and  wretchedness ;  He  beheld  the 
whole  creation  groaning  under  the  yoke ;  the  cry 
of  the  prisoner  fell  upon  His  ear ;  the  tear  of  the 
widow  met  His  view ;  bereavement  and  poverty 
touched  His  sensitive  heart;  sickness  and  death 
made  Him  "groan  in  the  spirit;  "His  sympathetic 
sufferings  were  beyond  all  human  conception. 

I  shall  quote  a  passage  for  my  reader,  illustrative 
of  that  character  of  suffering  to  which  we  are  now 
referring. — "When  the  even  was  come,  they  brought 
unto  Him  many  that  were  possessed  with  devils ; 
and  He  cast  out  the  spirits  with  His  word,  and 
healed  all  that  were  sick ;  that  it  might  be  fulfilled 


CHAPTER   II.  G3 

which  was  spoken  by  Esaias  the  prophet,  saying, 
''Himself  took  our  infirmities,  and  bare  our  sick- 
nesses.'" (Matt.  viii.  16,  17.)  This  was  entirely 
sympathetic — the  power  of  fellow-feeling,  which 
in  Him  was  perfect.  He  had  no  sicknesses  or 
infirmities  of  His  own.  Those  things  which  are 
sometimes  spoken  of  as  "sinless  infirmities,"  were, 
in  His  case,  but  the  evidences  of  a  veritable,  a  real, 
a  perfect  manhood.  But  by  sympathy — by  perfect 
fellow-feeling,  "He  took  our  infirmities,  and  bare 
our  sicknesses."  None  but  a  perfect  man  could 
have  done  this.  We  may  feel  for  and  with  each 
other,  but  only  Jesus  could  make  human  infirmity 
and  sickness  His  own. 

Now,  had  He  been  bearing  all  these  things  by  the 
necessity  of  His  birth,  or  of  His  relations  with  Israel 
and  the  human  family,  we  should  have  lost  all  the 
beauty  and  preciousness  of  His  voluntary  sympathy. 
There  could  be  no  room  for  voluntary  action  when 
absolute  necessity  was  laid  upon  Him.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  when  we  see  His  entire  freedom,  both 
personally  and  relatively,  from  human  misery  and 
that  which  produced  it,  we  can  enter  into  that  per- 
fect grace  and  compassion  which  led  Him  to  "take 
our  infirmities,  and  bear  our  sicknesses,"  in  the 
power  of  true  sympathy.  There  is,  therefore,  a 
very  manifest  difference  between  Christ's  suffering 
as  a  voluntary  sympathizer  with  human  misery,  and 
His  sufferings  as  the  sinner's  substitute.  The  former 
are  apparent  throughout  His  entire  life;  the  latter 
are  confined  to  His  death. 
6 


64  LEVITICUS. 

Finally,  we  have  to  consider  Christ's  sufferings  by 
anticipation.  We  find  the  dark  shadow  of  the  cross 
casting  itself  athwart  His  path,  and  producing  a 
very  keen  order  of  suffering,  which,  however,  must 
be  as  clearly  distinguished  from  His  atoning  suffer- 
ing as  either  His  suffering  for  righteousness  or  His 
suffering  by  sympathy.  Let  us  take  a  passage  in 
proof — "And  He  came  out,  and  went,  as  He  was 
wont,  to  the  mount  of  Olives;  and  His  disciples 
also  followed  Him.  And  when  He  was  at  the  place, 
He  said  unto  them,  'Pray  that  ye  enter  not  into 
temptation.'  And  He  was  withdrawn  from  them 
about  a  stone's  cast,  and  kneeled  down,  and  prayed, 
saying,  'Father,  if  Thou  be  willing,  remove  this  cup 
from  Me :  nevertheless  not  My  will,  but  Thine,  be 
done.'  And  there  appeared  an  angel  unto  Him 
from  heaven,  strengthening  Him.  And  being  in  an 
agony,  He  prayed  more  earnestly:  and  His  sweat 
was  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to 
the  ground."  (Luke  xxii.  39-44.)  Again,  Ave  read, 
"And  He  took  with  Him  Peter  and  the  two  sons  of 
Zebedee,  and  began  to  be  sorrowful  and  very  heavy. 
Then  saith  He  unto  tlrem,  'My  soul  is  exceeding 
sorrowful,  even  unto  death :  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch 
with  Me.'  ....  He  went  away  again  the  second 
time,  and  prayed,  saying,  'O  My  Father,  if  this  cup 
may  not  pass  from  Me,  except  I  drink  it,  Thy  will 
be  done.'  "  (Matt.  xxvi.  37-42.) 

From  these  verses,  it  is  evident  there  was  a 
something  in  prospect  which  the  blessed  Lord  had 
never  encountered  before,— there  was  a  "cup  "  being 


CHAPTER    II.  65 

filled  out  for  Him  of  which  He  had  not  yet  drunk. 
If  He  had  been  a  sin-bearer  all  His  life,  then  why 
this  intense  "agony"  at  the  thought  of  coming  in 
contact  with  sin  and  enduring  the  wrath  of  God 
on  account  of  sin  ?  What  was  the  difference  be- 
tween Christ  in  Gethsemane  and  Christ  at  Calvary 
if  He  were  a  sin-bearer  all  His  life  ?  There  was  a 
material  difference  ;  but  it  is  because  He  was  not  a 
sin-bearer  all  His  life.  What  is  the  difference  ?  In 
Gethsemane,  He  was  anticipating  the  cross ;  at 
Calvary,  He  was  actually  enduring  it.  In  Geth- 
semane, "there  appeared  an  angel  unto  Him  from 
heaven,  strengthening  Him;"  at  Calvary,  He  was 
forsaken  of  all.  There  was  no  angelic  ministry 
there.  In  Gethsemane,  He  addresses  God  as 
"Father,"  thus  enjoying  the  full  communion  of 
that  ineffable  relationship;  but  at  Calvary,  He 
cries,  "My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken 
Me?"  Here  the  Sin-bearer  looks  up  and  beholds 
the  throne  of  Eternal  Justice  enveloped  in  dark 
clouds,  and  the  countenance  of  Inflexible  Holiness 
averted  from  Him,  because  He  was  being  "made 
sin  for  us." 

The  reader  will,  I  trust,  find  no  difficulty  in 
examining  this  subject  for  himself.  He  will  be 
able  to  trace,  in  detail,  the  three  characters  of  the 
/(/e-sufferings  of  our  blessed  Lord,  and  to  distin- 
guish between  them  and  His  dea^-sufferings — His 
sufferings  for  sin.  He  will  see  how  that  when  man 
and  Satan  had  done  their  utmost,  there  yet  remained 
a  character  of  suffering  which  was  perfectly  unique, 


66  LEVITICUS. 

namely,  suffering  at  the  hand  of  God  on  account  of 
sin — suffering  as  the  sinner's  substitute.  Until  He 
came  to  the  cross,  He  could  ever  look  up  and  bask 
in  the  clear  light  of  His  Father's  countenance ;  in 
the  darkest  hour,  He  found  a  sure  resource  above. 
His  path  down  here  was  a  rough  one.  How  could 
it  be  otherwise,  in  a  world  where  all  was  directly 
contrary  to  His  pure  and  holy  nature  ?  He  had  to 
''endure  the  contradiction  of  sinners  against  Him- 
self;"  He  had  to  endure  "the  reproach  of  them  that 
reproached  God."  What  had  He  not  to  endure? 
He  was  misunderstood,  misinterpreted,  abused,  ma- 
ligned, accused  of  being  mad,  and  of  having  a 
devil.  He  was  betrayed,  denied,  deserted,  mocked, 
buffeted,  spit  upon,  crowned  with  thorns,  cast  out, 
condemned,  and  nailed  between  two  malefactors. 
All  these  things  He  endured  at  the  hand  of  man, 
together  with  all  the  unutterable  terrors  which  Satan 
brought  to  bear  upon  His  spirit ;  but,  let  it  be  once 
more  emphatically  repeated,  when  man  and  Satan 
had  exhausted  their  power  and  enmity,  our  blessed 
Lord  and  Saviour  had  to  endure  a  something  com- 
pared with  which  all  the  rest  was  as  nothing,  and 
that  was  the  hiding  of  God's  countenance — the  three 
hours  of  darkness  and  awful  gloom,  during  which 
He  suffered  what  none  but  God  could  know. 

Now,  when  Scripture  speaks  of  our  having  fellow- 
ship with  Christ's  sufferings,  it  refers  simply  to  His 
sufferings  for  righteousness — His  sufferings  at  the 
hand  of  man.  Christ  suffered  for  sin  that  we  might 
not  have  to  suffer  for  it, — He  endured  the  wrath  of 


CHAPTER   II.  G7 

God  that  we  might  not  have  to  endure  it  (this  is 
the  ground  of  our  peace)  ;  but  as  regards  suffering 
from  man,  we  shall  always  find  that  the  more  faith- 
fully we  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  Christ,  the  more 
we  shall  suffer  in  this  respect;  but  this  is  a  matter 
of  gift,  a  matter  of  privilege,  a  favor,  a  dignity. 
(See  Phil.  i.  29,  30.)  To  walk  in  the  footsteps  of 
Christ — to  enjoy  companionship  with  Him — to  be 
thrown  into  a  place  of  sympathy  with  Him,  are 
privileges  of  the  very  highest  order.  Would  that 
we  all  entered  more  fully  into  them  !  But,  alas  ! 
we  are  too  well  content  to  do  without  them — too 
well  satisfied,  like  Peter,  to  "follow  afar  off  "—to 
keep  aloof  from  a  despised  and  suffering  Christ.  ^ 
All  this  is,  undoubtedly,  our  heavy  loss.  Had  we 
only  more  fellowship  with  His  sufferings,  the  crown 
would  glisten  far  more  brightly  in  our  soul's  vision. 
When  we  shrink  from  fellowship  with  Christ's  suf- 
ferings, we  rob  ourselves  of  the  deep  joy  of  His 
present  companionship,  and  also  of  the  moral  power 
of  the  hope  of  His  future  glory. 

III.  Having  considered  the  ingredients  which 
composed  the  meat-offering,  and  the  various  forms 
in  which  it  was  presented,  it  only  remains  for  us 
to  refer  to  the  persons  who  partook  of  it.  These 
were  the  head  and  members  of  the  priestly  house. 
"And  that  which  is  left  of  the  meat-offering  shall 
be  Aaron's  and  his  sons' :  it  is  a  thing  most  holy  of 
the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire."  (Ver.  10.) 
As  in  the  burnt-offering  we  observed  the  sons  of 
Aaron  introduced  as  types  of  all  true  believers, 


68  LEVITICUS. 

not  as  convicted  sinners,  but  as  worshiping  priests ; 
so  in  the  meat-offering  we  find  them  feeding  upon 
the  remnant  of  that  which  had  been  laid,  as  it  were, 
on  the  table  of  the  God  of  Israel.  This  was  a  high 
and  holy  privilege.  None  but  priests  could  enjoy 
it.  This  is  set  forth  with  great  distinctness  in 
"the  law  of  the  meat-offering,"  which  I  shall  here 
quote  at  length. — "And  this  is  the  law  of  the  meat- 
offering :  The  sons  of  Aaron  shall  offer  it  before  the 
Lord,  before  the  altar.  And  he  shall  take  of  it  his 
handful,  of  the  flour  of  the  meat-offering,  and  of  the 
oil  thereof,  and  all  the  frankincense  which  is  upon 
the  meat-offering,  and  shall  burn  it  upon  the  altar 
for  a  sweet  savor,  even  the  memorial  of  it,  unto  the 
Lord.  And  the  remainder  thereof  shall  Aaron  and 
his  sons  eat :  with  unleavened  bread  shall  it  be  eaten 
in  the  holy  place;  in  the  court  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation  they  shall  eat  it.  It  shall  not  be 
baken  with  leaven.  I  have  given  it'  unto  them  for 
their  portion  of  My  offerings  made  by  fire ;  it  is 
most  holy,  as  is  the  sin-offering,  and  as  the  trespass- 
offering.  All  the  males  among  the  children  of  Aaron 
shall  eat  of  it.  It  shall  be  a  statute  forever  in  your 
generations  concerning  the  offerings  of  the  Lord 
made  by  fire :  every  one  that  toucheth  them  shall  be 
holy."  (Lev.  vi.  14-18.) 

Here,  then,  we  are  furnished  with  a  beauteous 
figure  of  the  Church  feeding  "in  the  holy  place," 
in  the  power  of  practical  holiness,  upon  the  perfec- 
tions of  "the  Man  Christ  Jesus."  This  is  our 
portion,  through  the  grace  of  God ;  but,  we  must 


CHAPTER    II.  69 

remember,  it  is  to  be  eaten  "with  unleavened  bread." 
We  cannot  feed  upon  Christ  if  we  are  indulging  in 
any  thing  evil.  "Every  one  that  toucheth  them 
shall  be  holy."  Moreover,  it  must  be  "in  the  holy 
place."  Our  position,  our  practice,  our  persons, 
our  associations,  must  be  holy  ere  we  can  feed 
upon  the  meat-offering.  Finally,  it  is  "all  the 
males  among  the  children  of  Aaron  shall  eat  of 
it."  That  is  to  say,  real  priestly  energy,  accord- 
ing to  the  divine  idea  of  it,  is  required  in  order  to 
enjoy  this  holy  portion.  Aaron's  "sons"  set  forth 
the  idea  of  energy  in  priestly  action :  his  " daughters ," 
feebleness  therein.  (Compare  Numb,  xviii.  8-13.) 
There  were  some  things  which  the  sons  could  eat 
which  the  daughters  could  not.  Our  hearts  should 
earnestly  desire  the  highest  measure  of  priestly 
energy,  so  that  we  may  discharge  the  highest 
priestly  functions,  and  partake  of  the  highest  order 
of  priestly  food. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  add,  that  inasmuch  as  we 
are  made,  through  grace,  "partakers  of  the  divine 
nature,"  we  can,  if  living  in  the  energy  of  that 
nature,  walk  in  the  footsteps  of  Him  who  is  fore- 
shadowed in  the  meat-offering.  If  only  we  are 
self-emptied,  our  every  act  ma}T  emit  a  sweet  odor 
to  God.  The  smallest  as  well  as  the  greatest  ser- 
vices m.Ty,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  present 
the  fragrance  of  Christ.  The  paying  of  a  visit,  the 
writing  of  a  letter,  the  public  ministry  of  the  Word, 
giving  a  cup  of  cold  water  to  a  disciple,  giving  a 
penny  to  a  pauper,  yea,  the  commonplace  acts  of 


70  LEVITICUS. 

eating  and  drinking — all  may  emit  the  sweet  perfume 
of  the  name  and  grace  of  Jesus. 

So,  also,  if  only  nature  be  kept  in  the  place  of 
death,  there  may  be  in  us  the  exhibition  of  that 
which  is  not  corruptible,  even  a  conversation  sea- 
soned with  the  "salt"  of  abiding  communion  with 
God.  But  in  all  these  things  we  fail  and  come 
short ;  we  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  in  our 
ways.  We  are  prone  to  self-seeking  or  men-pleasing 
in  our  very  best  services,  and  we  fail  to  "season" 
our  conversation.  Hence  our  constant  deficiency 
in  the  "oil,"  the  "frankincense,"  and  the  "salt;  " 
while,  at  the  same  time,  there  is  the  tendency  to 
suffer  the  "leaven"  or  the  "honey"  of  nature  to 
make  its  appearance.  There  has  been  but  one  per- 
fect "meat-offering;"  and,  blessed  be  God,  we  are 
accepted  in  Him.  We  are  the  "sons"  of  the  true 
Aaron  ;  our  place  is  in  the  sanctuary,  where,  we  can 
feed  upon  the  holy  portion.  Happy  place!  Happy 
portion !  May  we  enjoy  them  more  than  ever  we 
have  done !  May  our  retirement  of  heart  from  all 
but  Christ  be  more  profound !  May  our  gaze  at 
Him  be  so  intense  that  we  shall  have  no  heart  for 
the  attractions  of  the  scene  around  us,  nor  yet  for 
the  ten  thousand  petty  circumstances  in  our  path 
which  would  fret  the  heart  and  perplex  the  mind  ! 
May  we  rejoice  in  Christ  in  the  sunshine  and  in  the 
darkness ;  when  the  gentle  breezes  of  summer  play 
around  us,  and  when  the  storms  of  winter  rage 
fiercely  abroad  ;  when  passing  over  the  surface  of  a 
placid  lake,  or  tossed  on  the  bosom  of  a  stormy 


CHAPTER  III.  71 

*• 

ocean.  Thank  God,  "we  have  found  Him"  who 
is  to  be  our  satisfying  portion  forever  !  We  shall 
spend  eternity  dwelling  upon  the  divine  perfec- 
tions of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Our  eyes  shall  never  be 
averted  from  Him  when  once  we  have  seen  Him  as 
He  is. 

May  the  Spirit  of  God  work  mightily  in  us,  to 
strengthen  us  "in  the  inner  man"  !  May  He  enable 
us  to  feed  upon  that  perfect  Meat-offering,  the  me- 
morial of  which  has  been  fed  upon  by  God  Himself ! 
This  is  our  holy  and  happy  privilege.  May  we 
realize  it  yet  more  fully  ! 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  more  closely  we  contemplate  the  offerings, 
the  more  fully  do  we  see  how  that  no  one 
offering  furnishes  a  complete  view  of  Christ.  It  is 
only  by  putting  all  together  that  any  thing  like  a 
just  idea  can  be  formed.  Each  offering,  as  might 
be  expected,  has  features  peculiar  to  itself.  The 
peace-offering  differs  from  the  burnt-offering  in 
many  points,  and  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
points  in  which  any  one  type  differs  from  the  others 
will  be  found  to  help  much  in  the  apprehension  of 
its  special  import. 

Thus,  in  comparing  the  peace-offering  with  the 
burnt-offering,  WTC  find  that  the  threefold  action  of 
"flaying,"  "cutting  it  into  its  pieces,"  and  "wash- 
ing the  inwards  and  legs"  is  entirely  omitted  ;  and 


72  LEVITICUS. 

this  is  quite  in  character.  In  the  burnt-offering,  as 
we  have  seen,  \ve  find  Christ  offering  Himself  to 
and  accepted  by  God  ;  and  hence  the  completeness 
of  His  self-surrender,  and  also  the  searching  process 
to  which  He  submitted  Himself,  had  to  be  typified. 
In  the  peace-offering,  the  leading  thought  is  the 
communion  of  the  worshiper.  It  is  not  Christ  as 
enjoyed  exclusively  by  God,  but  as  enjoyed  by  the 
worshiper  in  communion  with  God ;  therefore  it  is 
that  the  whole  line  of  action  is  less  intense.  No 
heart,  be  its  love  ever  so  elevated,  could  possibly 
rise  to  the  height  of  Christ's  devoted  ness  to  God, 
or  of  God's  acceptance  of  Christ.  None  but  God 
Himself  could  duly  note  the  pulsations  of  that 
heart  which  throbbed  in  the  bosom  of  Jesus ;  and 
therefore  a  type  was  needed  to  set  forth  that  one 
feature  of  Christ's  death,  namely,  His  perfect  de- 
votedness  therein  to  God.  This  type  we  have  in 
the  burnt-offering,  in  which  alone  we  observe  the 
threefold  action  above  referred  to. 

So  also  in  reference  to  the  character  of  the  sacri- 
fice. In  the  burnt-offering,  it  should  be  "a  male 
without  blemish;"  whereas  in  the  peace-offering, 
it  might  be  "a  male  or  female,"  though  equally 
"without  blemish."  The  nature  of  Christ,  whethef 
we  view  Him  as  enjoyed  exclusively  by  God,  or  by 
the  worshiper  in  fellowship  with  God,  must  ever  be 
one  and  the  same ;  there  can  be  no  alteration  in 
that.  The  only  reason  why  "a  female"  was  per- 
mitted in  the  peace-offering,  was  because  it  was  a 
question  of  the  worshiper's  capacity  to  enjoy  that 


CHAPTER    III.  73 

blessed  One,  who,  in  Himself,  is  "the  same  yester- 
day, to-day,  and  forever."  (Heb.  xiii.) 

Again,  in  the  burnt-offering,  we  read,  "The  priest 
shall  burn  all;"  whereas  in  the  peace-offering,  a 
part  only  was  burnt,  that  is,  "the  fat,  the  kidneys, 
and  the  caul."  This  makes  it  exceedingly  simple. 
The  most  excellent  portion  of  the  sacrifice  was  laid 
on  God's  altar.  The  inward  parts — the  hidden 
energies — the  tender  sensibilities  of  the  blessed 
Jesus,  were  devoted  to  God,  as  the  only  One  who 
could  perfectly  enjoy  them.  Aaron  and  his  sons 
fed  upon  "the  wave  breast"  and  "the  heave  shoul- 
^er."*  (See,  carefully,  Lev.  vii.  28-36.)  All  the 
members  of  the  priestly  family,  in  communion  with 
their  head,  had  their  proper  portion  of  the  peace- 
offering  ;  and  now,  all  true  believers  constituted,  by 
grace,  priests  unto  God,  can  feed  upon  the  affections 
and  the  strength  of  the  true  Peace-offering,  —  can 
enjoy  the  happy  assurance  of  having  His  loving 
heart  and  powerful  shoulder  to  comfort  and  sustain 
them  continually. t  "This  is  the  portion  of  the 
anointing  of  Aaron,  and  of  the  anointing  of  his 
sons,  out  of  the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire, 
in  the  day  when  he  presented  them  to  minister  unto 
the  Lord  in  the  priest's  office  ;  which  the  Lord  com- 
manded to  be  given  them  of  the  children  of  Israel, 

*The  "breast"  and  the  "shoulder"  are  emblematical  of  love 
and  power — strength  and  affection. 

t  There  is  much  force  and  beauty  in  verse  31— "The  breast  shall 
be  Aaron's  and  his  sons'."  It  is  the  privilege  of  all  true  believers 
to  feed  upon  the  affections  of  Christ — the  changeless  love  of  that 
heart  which  beats  with  a  deathless  and  changeless  love  for  them. 


74  LEVITICUS. 

in  the  day  that  He  anointed  them  by  a  statute  forever 
throughout  their  generations."  (Chap.  vii.  35,  36.) 

All  these  are  important  points  of  difference  be- 
tween the  burnt-offering  and  the  peace-offering,  and 
when  taken  together,  they  set  the  two  offerings 
with  great  clearness  before  the  mind.  There  is 
something  more  in  the  peace-offering  than  the  ab- 
stract devotedness  of  Christ  to  the  will  of  God. 
The  worshiper  is  introduced ;  and  that  not  merely 
as  a  spectator,  but  as  a  participator — not  merely  to 
gaze,  but  to  feed.  This  gives  very  marked  character 
to  this  offering.  When  I  look  at  the  Lord  Jesus  in 
the  burnt-offering,  I  see  Him  as  One  whose  heart 
was  devoted  to  the  one  object  of  glorifying  God  and 
accomplishing  His  will ;  but  when  I  see  Him"  in  the 
peace-offering,  I  find  One  who  has  a  place  in  His 
loving  heart  and  on  His  powerful  shoulder  for  a 
worthless,  helpless  sinner.  In  the  burnt-offering, 
the  breast  and  shoulder,  legs  and  inwards,  head  and 
fat,  were  all  burnt  on  the  altar — all  went  up  as  a 
sweet  savor  to  God  ;  but  in  the  peace-offering,  the 
very  portion  that  suits  me  is  left  for  me.  Nor  am 
I  left  to  feed  in  solitude  on  that  which  meets  my 
individual  need.  By  no  means.  I  feed  in  commun- 
ion— in  communion  with  God,  and  in  communion 
with  my  fellow-priests.  I  feed  in  the  full  and  happy 
intelligence  that  the  self-same  sacrifice  which  feeds 
my  soul  has  already  refreshed  the  heart  of  God ; 
and,  moreover,  that  the  same  portion  which  feeds 
me  feeds  all  my  fellow-worshipers.  Communion  is 
the  order  here, — communion  with  God — the  com- 


CHAPTER    III.  75 

munion  of  saints.  There  was  no  such  thing  as 
isolation  in  the  peace-offering.  God  had  His  por- 
tion, and  so  had  the  priestly  family. 

Thus  it  is  in  connection  with  the  Antitype  of  the 
peace-offering.  The  very  same  Jesus  who  is  the 
object  of  Heaven's  delight,  is  the  spring  of  joy,  of 
strength,  and  of  comfort  to  every  believing  heart; 
and  not  only  to  every  heart  in  particular,  but  also 
to  the  whole  church  of  God  in  fellowship.  God,  in 
His  exceeding  grace,  has  given  His  people  the  very 
same  object  that  He  has  Himself.  "  Truly  our 
fellowship  is  with  the  Father,  and  with  His  Son 
Jesus  Christ."  (1  John  i.)  True,  our  thoughts  of 
Jesus  can  never  rise  to  the  height  of  God's  thoughts. 
Our  estimation  of  such  an  object  must  ever  fall  far 
short  of  His ;  and  hence,  in  the  type,  the  house  of 
Aaron  could  not  partake  of  the  fat.  But  though 
we  can  never  rise  to  the  standard  of  the  divine 
estimation  of  Christ's  Person  and  sacrifice,  it  is 
nevertheless  the  same  object  we  are  occupied  with, 
and  therefore  the  house  of  Aaron  had  "the  wave 
breast  and  the  heave  shoulder."  All  this  is  replete 
with  comfort  and  joy  to  the  heart.  The  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  One  "who  was  dead,  but  is  alive  for 
evermore,"  is  now  the  exclusive  object  before  the 
eye  and  thoughts  of  God;  and,  in  pprfect  grace,' 
He  lias  given  unto  us  a  portion  in  the  same  blessed 
and  all-glorious  Person.  Christ  is  our  object  too — 
the  object  of  our  hearts  and  the  theme  of  our  song. 
"Having  made  peace  by  the  blood  of  His  cross," 
He  ascended  into  heaven,  and  sent  down  the  Holy 


76  LEVITICUS. 

Ghost,  that  ' '  other  Comforter, ' '  by  whose  powerful 
ministrations  we  feed  upon,  "the  breast  and  shoul- 
der" of  our  divine  "Peace-offering."  He  is  indeed 
our  peace  ;  and  it  is  our  exceeding  joy  to  know  that 
such  is  God's  delight  in  the  establishment  of  our 
peace,  that  the  sweet  odor  of  our  Peace-offering  has 
refreshed  His  heart.  This  imparts*a  peculiar  charm 
to  this  type.  Christ  as  the  Burnt-offering  commands 
the  admiration  of  the  heart ;  Christ  as  the  Peace- 
offering  establishes  the  peace  of  the  conscience,  and 
meets  the  deep  and  manifold  necessities  of  the  soul. 
The  sons  of  Aaron  might  stand  around  the  altar  of 
burnt-offering;  they  might  behold  the  flame  of  that 
offering  ascending  to  the  God  of  Israel ;  they  might 
see  the  sacrifice  reduced  to  ashes ;  they  might,  in 
view  of  all  this,  bow  their  heads  and  worship ;  but 
they  carried  naught  away  for  themselves.  Not  so 
in  the  peace-offering.  In  it,  they  not  only  beheld 
that  which  was  capable  of  emitting  a  sweet  odor  to 
God,  but  also  of  yielding  a  most  substantial  portion 
for  themselves,  on  which  they  could  feed  in  happy 
and  holy  fellowship. 

And,  assuredly,  it  heightens  the  enjoyment  of 
every  true  priest  to  know  that  God  (to  use  the 
language  of  our  type)  has  had  His  portion  ere  he 
gets  the  breast  and  the  shoulder.  The  ^nought  of 
this  gives  tone  and  energ3r,  unction  and  elevation,  to 
the  worship  and  communion;  it  unfolds  the  amazing 
grace  of  Him  who  has  given  us  the  same  object,  the 
same  theme,  the  same  joy  with  Himself.  Nothing 
lower — nothing  less  than  this  could  satisfy  Him. 


CHAPTER    III.  77 

The  Father  will  have  the  prodigal  feeding  upon  the 
fatted  calf,  in  fellowship  with  Himself.  He  will  not 
assign  him  a  lower  place  than  at  His  own  table,  nor 
any  other  portion  than  that  on  which  He  feeds  Him- 
self. The  language  of  the  peace-offering  is,  "It  is 
meet  that  we  should  make  merry  and  be  glad," — 
"Let  MS  eat  and  be  merry."  Such  is  the  precious 
grace  of  God !  No  doubt  we  have  reason  to  be  glad, 
as  being  the  partakers  of  such  grace ;  but  when 
we  can  hear  the  blessed  God  saying,  "Let  us  eat 
and  be  merry,"  it  should  call  forth  from  our  hearts 
a  continual  stream  of  praise  and  thanksgiving. 
God's  joy  in  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  His  joy 
in  the  communion  of  saints,  may  well  elicit  the 
admiration  of  men  and  angels  throughout  eternity. 

Having  thus  compared  the  peace-offering  with  the 
burnt-offering,  we  may  now  briefly  glance  at  it  in 
connection  with  the  meat-offering.  The  leading 
point  of  difference  here  is,  that  in  the  peace-offering 
there  was  blood-shedding,  and  in  the  meat-offering 
there  was  not.  They  were  both  "sweet  savor" 
offerings ;  and,  as  we  learn  from  chap.  vii.  12, 
the  two  offerings  were  very  intimately  associated. 
Now,  both  the  connection  and  the  contrast  are  full 
of  meaning  and  instruction. 

It  is  only  in  communion  with  God  that  the  soul 
can  delight  itself  in  contemplating  the  perfect  hu- 
manity of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  God  the  Holy 
Ghost  must  impart,  as  He  must  also  direct,  by  the 
Word,  the  vision  by  which  we  can  gaze  on  "the 
Man  Christ  Jesus."  He  might  have  been  revealed 


78  LEVITICUS. 

"in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh," — He  might  have 
lived  and  labored  on  this  earth, — He  might  have 
shone  amid  the  darkness  of  this  world  in  all  the 
heavenly  lustre  and  beauty  which  belonged  to  His 
Person, — He  might  have  passed  rapidly,  like  a 
brilliant  luminary,  across  this  world's  horizon, — 
and  all  the  while  have  been  beyond  the  range  of 
the  sinner's  vision. 

Man  could  not  enter  into  the  deep  joy  of  com- 
munion with  all  this,  simply  because  there  would  be 
no  basis  laid  down  on  which  this  communion  might 
rest.  In  the  peace-offering,  this  necessary  basis  is 
fully  and  clearly  established.— "He  shall  lay  his 
hand  upon  the  head  of  his  offering,  and  kill  it  at 
the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation :  and 
Aaron's  sons,  the  priests,  shall  sprinkle  the  blood 
upon  the  altar  round  about."  (Chap.  iii.  2.)  Here, 
we  have  that  which  the  meat-offering  does  not  sup- 
ply, namely,  a  solid  foundation  for  the  worshiper's 
communion  with  all  the  fullness,  the  preciousness, 
and  the  beauty  of  Christ,  so  far  as  he,  by  the  gra- 
cious energy  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  enabled  to  enter 
thereinto.  Standing  on  the  platform  which  "the 
precious  blood  of  Christ"  provides,  we  can  range, 
with  tranquilized  hearts  and  worshiping  spirits, 
throughout  all  the  wondrous  scenes  of  the  manhood 

O 

of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Had  we  naught  save  the 
meat-offering  aspect  of  Christ,  we  should  lack  the 
title  by  which,  and  the  ground  on  which,  we  can 
contemplate  and  enjoy  Him  therein.  If  there  were 
no  blood -shedding,  there  could  be  no  title  —  no 


CHAPTER    III.  79 

standing-place  for  the  sinner.  But  Leviticus  vii. 
12  links  the  meat-offering  with  the  peace-offering, 
and,  by  so  doing,  teaches  us,  that,  when  our  souls 
have  found  peace,  we  can  delight  in  the  One  who 
has  "made  peace,"  and  who  is  "our  peace." 

But  let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  while  in 
the  peace-offering  we  have  the  shedding  and  sprink- 
ling of  blood,  yet  sin-bearing  is  not  the  thought. 
When  we  view  Christ  in  the  peace-offering,  He  does 
not  stand  before  us  as  the  bearer  of  our  sins,  as  in 
the  sin  and  trespass  offerings,  but  (having  borne 
them)  as  the  ground  of  our  peaceful  and  happy 
fellowship  with  God.  If  sin-bearing  were  in  ques- 
tion, it  could  not  be  said,  "It  is  an  offering  made 
by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savor  unto  the  Lord."  (Chap, 
iii.  5,  comp.  with  chap.  iv.  10-12.)  Still,  though 
sin-bearing  is  not  the  thought,  there  is  full  pro- 
vision for  one  who  knows  himself  to  be  a  sinner, 
else  he  could  not  have  any  portion  therein.  To  have 
fellowship  with  God,  we  must  be  "in  the  light;" 
and  how  can  we  be  there  ?  Only  on  the  ground 
of  that  precious  statement — "The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  ( 1  John  i. ) 
The  more  we  abide  in  the  light,  the  deeper  will  be 
our  sense  of  every  thing  which  is  contrary  to  that 
light ;  and  the  deeper,  also,  our  sense  of  the  value 
of  that  blood  which  entitles  us  to  be  there.  The 
more  closely  we  walk  with  God,  the  more  we  shall 
know  of  "the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ." 

It  is  most  needful  to  be  established  in  the  truth 
that  we  are  in  the  presence  of  God  only  as  the 
7 


80  LEVITICUS. 

partakers  of  divine  life,  and  as  standing  in  divine 
righteousness.  The  father  could  only  have  the 
prodigal  at  his  table  clothed  in  "the  best  robe,"  and 
in  all  the  integrity  of  that  relationship  in  which  he 
viewed  him.  Had  the  prodigal  been  left  in  his  rags, 
or  placed  "as  a  hired  servant"  in  the  house,  we 
never  should  have  heard  those  glorious  words,  "Let 
us  eat  and  be  merry:  for  this  my  son  was  dead,  and 
is  alive  again  ;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found."  Thus  it 
is  with  all  true  believers.  Their  old  nature  is  not 
recognized  as  existing  before  God.  He  counts  it 
dead,  and  so  should  they.  It  is  dead  to  God,  dead 
to  faith.  It  must  be  kept  in  the  place  of  death.  It 
is  not  by  improving  our  old  nature  that  we  get  into 
the  divine  presence,  but  as  the  possessors  of  a  new 
nature.  It  was  not  by  repairing  the  rags  of  his 
former  condition  that  the  prodigal  got  a  place  at  the 
father's  table,  but  by  being  clothed  in  a  robe  which 
he  had  never  seen  or  thought  of  before.  He  did 
not  bring  this  robe  with  him  from  the  "far  country," 
neither  did  he  provide  it  as  he  came  along;  but  the 
father  had  it  for  him  in  the  house.  The  prodigal 
did  not  make  it,  or  help  to  make  it ;  but  the  father 
provided  it  for  him,  and  rejoiced  to  see  it  on  him. 
Thus  it  was  they  sat  down  together,  to  feed  in  happy 
fellowship  upon  "the  fatted  calf." 

I  shall  now  preceed  to  quote  at  length  "the  law 
of  the  sacrifice  of  peace-offering,"  in  which  we  shall 
find  some  additional  points  of  much  interest — points 
which  belong  peculiarly  to  itself. — "And  this  is  the 
law  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings,  which  he  shall 


CHAPTER    III.  81 

offer  unto  the  Lord :  If  he  offer  it  for  a  thanksgiving, 
then  he  shall  offer  with  the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving 
unleavened  cakes  mingled  with  oil,  and  unleavened 
wafers  anointed  with  oil,  and  cakes  mingled  with 
oil,  of  fine  flour,  fried.  Besides  the  cakes,  he  shall 
offer  for  his  offering  leavened  bread  with  the  sacrifice 
of  thanksgiving  of  his  peace-offerings.  And  of  it 
he  shall  offer  one  out  of  the  whole  oblation  for  a 
heave-offering  unto  the  Lord,  and  it  shall  be  the 
priest's  that  sprinkleth  the  blood  of  the  peace- 
offerings.  And  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  his 
peace-offerings  for  thanksgiving  shall  be  eaten  the 
same  day  that  it  is  offered ;  he  shall  not  leave  any 
of  it  until  the  morning.  But  if  the  sacrifice  of  his 
offering  be  a  vow,  or  a  voluntary  offering,  it  shall  be 
eaten  the  same  day  that  he  offereth  his  sacrifice ; 
and  on  the  morrow  also  the  remainder  of  it  shall  be 
eaten  ;  but  the  remainder  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice 
on  the  third  day  shall  be  burnt  with  fire.  And  if  any 
of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  his  peace-offerings  be 
eaten  at  all  on  the  third  day,  it  shall  not  be  accepted, 
neither  shall  it  be  imputed  unto  him  that  offereth  it : 
it  shall  be  an  abomination,  and  the  soul  that  eateth 
of  it  shall  bear  his  iniquity.  And  the  flesh  that 
toucheth  any  unclean  thing  shall  not  be  eaten  ;  it 
shall  be  burnt  with  fire  :  and  as  for  the  flesh,  all  that 
be  clean  shall  eat  thereof.  But  the  soul  that  eateth 
of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings,  that 
pertain  unto  the  Lord,  having  his  uncleanness  upon 
him,  even  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people. 
Moreover  the  soul  that  shall  touch  any  unclean 


82  LEVITICUS. 

thing,  as  the  uncleanness  of  man,  or  any  unclean 
beast,  or  any  abominable  unclean  thing,  and  eat  of 
the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings,  which 
pertain  unto  the  Lord,  even  that  soul  shall  be  cut 
off  from  his  people."  (Lev.  vii.  11-21.) 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  we  accurately 
distinguish  between  sin  in  the  flesli  and  sin  on  the 
conscience.  If  we  confound  these  two,  our  souls 
must  necessarily  be  unhinged,  and  our  worship 
marred.  An  attentive  consideration  of  1  John  i. 
8-10  will  throw  much  light  upon  this  subject,  the 
understanding  of  which  is  so  essential  to  a  due 
appreciation  of  the  entire  doctrine  of  the  peace- 
offering,  and  more  especially  of  that  point  therein 
at  which  we  have  now  arrived.  There  is  no  one 
who  will  be  so  conscious  of  indwelling  sin  as  the 
man  who  walks  in  the  light.  "If  we  say  that  we 
have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is 
not  in  us."  In  the  verse  immediately  preceding, 
we  read,  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  Here,  the  distinction 
between  sin  in  us  and  sin  on  us  is  fully  brought  out 
and  established.  To  say  that  there  is  sin  on  the 
believer,  in  the  presence  of  God,  is  to  call  in  ques- 
tion the  purging  efficacy  of  xthe  blood  of  Jesus,  and 
to  deny  the  truth  of  the  divine  record.  If  the  blood 
of  Jesus  can  perfectly  purge,  then  the  believer's 
conscience  is  perfectly  purged.  The  Word  of  God 
thus  puts  the  matter ;  and  we  must  ever  remember 
that  it  is  from  God  Himself  we  are  to  learn  what  the 
true  condition  of  the  believer  is  in  His  sight.  We 


CHAPTER    III.  83 

arc  more  disposed  to  be  occupied  in  telling  God 
what  we  are  in  ourselves,  than  to  allow  Him  to  tell 
us  what  we  are  in  Christ.  In  other  words,  we  are 
more  taken  up  with  our  own  self-consciousness  than 
with  God's  revelation  of  Himself.  God  speaks  to 
us  on  the  ground  of  what  He  is  in  Himself,  and  of 
what  He  has  accomplished  in  Christ.  Such  is  the 
nature  and  character  of  His  revelation,  of  which 
faith  takes  hold,  and  thus  fills  the  soul  with  perfect 
peace.  God's  revelation  is  one  thing ;  my  con- 
sciousness is  quite  another. 

But  the  same  Word  which  tells  us  we  have  no  sin 
on  us,  tells  us,  with  equal  force  and  clearness,  that 
we  have  sin  in  us.  "If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin, 
we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us." 
Every  one  who  has  "truth"  in  him,  will  know  that 
he  has  "sin"  in  him  likewise;  for  truth  reveals 
every  thing  as  it  is.  What,  then,  are  we  to  do  ?  It 
is  our  privilege  so  to  walk  in  the  power  of  the  new 
nature,  that  the  "sm"  which  dwells  in  us  may  not 
manifest  itself  in  the  form  of  "sins."  The  Chris- 
tian's position  is  one  of  victory  and  liberty.  He  is 
not  only  delivered  from  the  guilt  of  sin,  but  also 
from  sin  as  a  ruling  principle  in  his  life.  "Knowing 
this,  that  our  old  man  is  crucified  with  Him,  that 
the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed,  that  henceforth 
we  should  not  serve  sin.  For  he  that  is  dead  is 

freed  from  sin Let  not  sin  therefore  reign 

in  your  mortal  body,  that  ye  should  obey  it  in  the 

Insts   thereof. For   sin   shall   not  have 

dominion  over  you  ;   for  ye  are  not  under  the  law, 


84  LEVITICUS. 

but  under  grace."  (Rom.  vi.  6-14.)  Sin  is  there 
in  all  its  native  vileness  ;  but  the  believer  is  "dead 
to  it."  How?  He  died  in  Christ.  By  nature, 
he  was  dead  in  sin :  by  grace,  he  is  dead  to  it. 
What  claim  can  any  thing  or  any  one  have  upon  a 
dead  man?  None  whatever.  Christ  "died  unto 
sin  once,"  and  the  believer  died  in  Him.  "Now 
if  we  be  dead  with  Christ,  we  believe  that  we  shall 
also  live  with  Him :  knowing  that  Christ  being  raised 
from  the  dead  dieth  no  more ;  death  hath  no  more 
dominion  over  Him.  For  in  that  He  died,  He  died 
unto  sin  once  ;  but  in  that  He  liveth,  He  liveth  unto 
God."  What  is  the  result  of  this  in  reference  to 
believers  ?  "Likewise  reckon  }"e  also  yourselves  to 
be  dead  indeed  unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  Such  is  the  believer's 
unalterable  position  before  God  !  so  that  it  is  his 
holy  privilege  to  enjoy  freedom  from  sin  as  a  ruler 
over  him,  though  it  be  a  dweller  in  him. 

But  then,  "if  any  man  sin,"  what  is  to  be  done? 
The  inspired  apostle  furnishes  a  full  and  most  blessed 
answer, — "If  we  confess  our  sins,  He  is  faithful  and 
just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from 
all  unrighteousness."  (1  John  i.  9.)  Confession  is 
the  mode  in  which  the  conscience  is  to  be  kept  free. 
The  apostle  does  not  say,  If  we  pray  for  pardon, 
He  is  gracious  and  merciful  to  forgive  us.  No  doubt 
it  is  ever  happy  for  a  child  to  breathe  the  sense  of 
need  into  his  father's  ear — to  tell  him  of  feebleness, 
to  confess  folly,  infirmity,  and  failure.  All  this  is 
most  true;  and,  moreover,  it  is  equally  true  that 


CHAPTER    III.  85 

our  Father  is  most  gracious  and  merciful  to  meet 
His  -children  in  all  their  weakness  and  ignorance ; 
but,  while  all  this  is  true,  the  Holy  Ghost  declares, 
by  the  apostle,  that  "if  we  confess,"  God  is  "faith- 
ful and  just  to  forgive."  Confession,  therefore,  is 
the  divine  mode.  A  Christian,  having  erred,  in 
thought,  word,  or  deed,  might  pray  for  pardon  for 
days  and  months  together,  and  not  have  any  assur- 
ance, from  1  John  i.  9,  that  he  was  forgiven  ;  where- 
as the  moment  he  truly  confesses  his  sin  before  God, 
it  is  a  simple  matter  of  faith  to  know  that  he  is 
perfectly  forgiven  and  perfectly  cleansed. 

There  is  an  immense  moral  difference  between 
praying  for  forgiveness  and  confessing  our  sins, 
whether  we  look  at  it  in  reference  to  the  character 
of  God,  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  or  the  condition  of 
the  soul.  It  is  quite  possible  that  a  person's  prayer 
may  involve  the  confession  of  his  sin,  whatever  it 
may  happen  to  be,  and  thus  come  to  the  same  thing ; 
but  then  it  is  always  well  to  keep  close  to  Scripture 
in  what  we  think  and  say  and  do.  It  must  be  evi- 
dent that  when  the  Holy  Ghost  speaks  of  confession, 
He  does  not  mean  praying;  and  it  is  equally  evident 
that  He  knows  there  are  moral  elements  in,  and 
practical  results  flowing  out  of,  confession,  which 
do  not  belong  to  prayer.  In  point  of  fact,  one  has 
often  found  that  a  habit  of  importuning  God  for  the 
forgiveness  of  sins  displayed  ignorance  as  to  the 
way  in  which  God  has  revealed  Himself  in  the  Per- 
son and  work  of  Christ,  as  to  the  relation  in  which 
the  sacrifice  of  Christ  has  set  the  believer,  and  as  to 


86  LEVITICUS. 

the  divine  mode  of  getting  the  conscience  relieved 
from  the  burden  and  purified  from  the  soil  of  sin. 

God  has  been  perfectly  satisfied  as  to  all  the  be- 
liever's sins  in  the  cross  of  Christ.  On  that  cross, 
a  full  atonement  was  presented  for  every  jot  and 
tittle  of  sin  in  the  believer's  nature  and  on  his 
conscience.  Hence,  therefore,  God  does  not  need 
any  further  propitiation.  He  does  not  need  aught 
to  draw  His  heart  toward  the  believer.  We  do  not 
require  to  supplicate  Him  to  be  "faithful  and  just," 
when  His  faithfulness  and  justice  have  been  so  glo- 
riously displayed,  vindicated,  and  answered  in  the 
death  of  Christ.  Our  sins  can  never  come  into 
God's  presence,  inasmuch  as  Christ,  who  bore  them 
all  and  put  them  awa}T,  is  there  instead.  But  if  we 
sin,  conscience  will  feel  it — must  feel  it, — yea,  the 
Holy  Ghost  will  make  us  feel  it.  He  cannot  allow 
so  much  as  a  single  light  thought  to  pass  unjudged. 
What  then  ?  Has  our  sin  made  its  way  into  the 
presence  of  God  ?  Has  it  found  its  place  in  the 
unsullied  light  of  the  inner  sanctuary  ?  God  for- 
bid !  The  ' '  Advocate ' '  is  there — ' '  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous,"  to  maintain,  in  unbroken  integrity,  the 
relationship  in  which  we  stand.  But  though  sin 
cannot  affect  God's  thoughts  in  reference  to  us,  it 
can  and  does  affect  our  thoughts  in  reference  to 
Him ;  *  though  it  cannot  make  its  way  into  His 

*The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  subject  treated  of  in  the 
text  leaves  wholly  untouched  the  important  and  most  practical 
truth  taught  in  John  xiv.  21-23,  namely,  the  peculiar  love  of  the 
Father  for  an  obedient  child,  and  the  <epecial  communion  of  such 
a  child  with  the  Father  and  the  Son.  May  this  truth  be  written  on 
all  our  hearts,  by  the  pen  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost ! 


CHAPTER   III.  87 

presence,  it  gan  make  its  way  into  ours,  in  a  most 
distressing  and  humiliating  manner  ;  though  it  can- 
not hide  the  Advocate  from  God's  view,  it  can  hide 
Him  from  ours.  It  gathers,  like  a  thick,  dark  cloud, 
on  our  spiritual  horizon,  so  that  our  souls  cannot 
bask  in  the  blessed  beams  of  our  Father's  counte- 
nance. It  cannot  affect  our  relationship  with  God, 
but  it  can  very  seriously  affect  our  enjoyment  there- 
of. What,  therefore,  are  we  to  do  ?  The  Word 
answers,  "If  we  confess  our  sins,  He  is  faithful 
and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us 
from  all  unrighteousness."  By  confession,  we  get 
our  conscience  cleared,  the  sweet  sense  of  relation- 
ship restored,  the  dark  cloud  dispersed,  the  chilling, 
withering  influence  removed,  our  thoughts  of  God 
set  straight.  Such  is  the  divine  method ;  and  we 
may  truly  say  that  the  heart  that  knows  what  it  is 
to  have  ever  been  in  the  place  of  confession,  will 
feel  the  divine  power  of  the  apostle's  words — "My 
little  children,  these  things  write  I  unto  you,  THAT 
YE  SIN  NOT."  (1  John  ii.  1.) 

Then,  again,  there  is  a  style  of  praying  for  for- 
giveness which  involves  a  losing  sight  of  the  perfect 
ground  of  forgiveness  which  has  been  laid  in  the 
sacrifice  of  the  cross.  If  God  forgives  sins,  He 
must  be  "faithful  and  just"  in  so  doing;  but  it 
is  quite  clear  that  our  prayers,  be  they  ever  so* 
sincere  and  earnest,  could  not  form  the  basis  of 
God's  faithfulness  and  justice  in  forgiving  us  our 
sins.  Naught  save  the  work  of  the  cross  could  do 
this.  There,  the  faithfulness  and  justice  of  God 


88  LEVITICUS. 

have  had  their  fullest  establishment,  and  that,  too, 
in  immediate  reference  to  our  actual  sins,  as  well  as 
to  the  root  thereof  in  our  nature.  God  has  already 
judged  our  sins  in  the  Person  of  our  Substitute  "on 
the  tree;"  and,  in  the  act  of  confession,  we  judge 
ourselves.  This  is  essential  to  divine  forgiveness 
and  restoration.  The  very  smallest  unconfessed, 
unjudged  sin  on  the  conscience  will  entirely  mar 
our  communion  with  God.  Sin  in  us  need  not  do 
this  ;  but  if  we  suffer  sin  to  remain  on  us,  we  cannot 
have  fellowship  with  God.  He  has  put  away  our 
sins  in  such  a  manner  as  that  He  can  have  us  in  His 
presence  ;  and  so  long  as  we  abide  in  His  presence, 
sin  does  not  trouble  us ;  but  if  we  get  out  of  His 
presence,  and  commit  sin,  even  in  thought,  our 
communion  must,  of  necessity,  be  suspended,  until, 
by  confession,  we  have  got  rid  of  the  sin.  All  this, 
I  need  hardly  add,  is  founded  exclusively  upon  the 
perfect  sacrifice  and  righteous  advocacy  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

Finally,  as  to  the  difference  between  prayer  and 
confession,  as  respects  the  condition  of  the  heart 
before  God,  and  its  moral  sense  of  the  hatefulness 
of  sin,  it  cannot  possibly  be  over-estimated.  It  is 
a  much  easier  thing  to  ask,  in  a  general  way,  for 
the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  than  to  confess  those 
sins.  Confession  involves  self-judgment;  asking  for 
forgiveness  may  not,  and,  in  itself,  does  not.  This 
alone  would  be  sufficient  to  point  out  the  difference. 
Self- judgment  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  and 
healthful  exercises  of  the  Christian  life,  and  there- 


CHAPTER    ITT.  89 

fore  any  thing  which  produces  it  must  be  highly 
esteemed  by  every  earnest  Christian. 

The  difference  between  asking  for  pardon  and 
confessing  the  sin  is  continually  exemplified  in 
dealing  with  children.  If  a  child  has  done  any 
thing  wrong,  he  finds  much  less  difficulty  in  asking 
his  father  to  forgive  him  than  in  openly  and  unre- 
servedly confessing  the  wrong.  In  asking  for  for- 
giveness, the  child  may  have  in  his  mind  a  number 
of  things  which  tend  to  lessen  the  sense  of  the  evil, 
— he  may  be  secretly  thinking  that  he  was  not  so 
much  to  blame  after  all,  though,  to  be  sure,  it  is 
only  proper  to  ask  his  father  to  forgive  him  ;  where- 
as, in  confessing  the  wrong,  there  is  just  the  one 
thing,  and  that  is,  self-judgment.  Further,  in  ask- 
ing for  forgiveness,  the  child  may  be  influenced 
mainly  by  a  desire  to  escape  the  consequences  of 
his  wrong;  whereas,  a  judicious  parent  will  seek 
to  produce  a  just  sense  of  its  moral  evil,  wrhich  can 
only  exist  in  connection  with  the  full  confession  of 
the  fault — in  connection  with  self-judgment. 

Thus  it  is,  in  reference  to  God's  dealings  with  His 
children  when  they  do  wrong.  He.  must  have  the 
whole  thing  brought  out  and  thoroughly  judged. 
He  will  make  us  not  only  dread  the  consequences 
of  sin  (which  are  unutterable),  but  hate  the  thing 
itself,  because  of  its  hatefulness  in  His  sight.  Were 
it  possible  for  us,  when  we  commit  sin,  to  be  for- 
given merely  for  the  asking,  our  sense  of  sin  and 
our  shrinking  from  it  would  not  be  nearly  so  intense, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  our  estimate  of  the  fellowship 


90  LEVITICUS. 

with  which  we  are  blessed  would  not  be  nearly  so 
high.  The  moral  effect  of  all  this  upon  the  general 
tone  of  our  spiritual  constitution,  and  also  upon  our 
whole  character  and  practical  career,  must  be  ob- 
vious to  every  experienced  Christian.* 

This  entire  train  of  thought  is  intimately  con- 
nected with,  and  fully  borne  out  by,  two  leading 
principles  laid  down  in  "the  law  of  the  peace- 
offering.  ' ' 

In  verse  13  of  the  seventh  of  Leviticus  we  read, 
' '  He  shall  offer  for  his  offering  leavened  bread ; ' ' 
and  yet  at  verse  20  we  read,  "But  the  soul  that 
eateth  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings, 
that  pertain  unto  the  Lord,  having  his  uncleanness 
upon  him,  even  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his 
people."  Here,  we  have  the  two  things  clearly 
set  before  us,  namely,  sin  in  us  and  sin  on  us. 
"Leaven"  was  permitted,  because  there  was  sin  in 
the  worshiper's  nature:  "uncleanness"  was  for- 
bidden, because  there  should  be  no  sin  on  the 
worshiper's  conscience.  If  sin  be  in  question, 
communion  must  be  out  of  the  question.  God  has 

*The  case  of  Simon  Magus,  in  Acts  viii,  may  present  a  difficulty 
to  the  reader.  But  of  him,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  one  "in  the 
gall  of  bitterness  and  in  the  bond  of  iniquity"  could  never  be  set 
forth  as  a  model  for  God's  dear  children.  His  case  in  no  wise 
interferes  with  the  doctrine  of  1  John  i.  9.  He  was  not  in  the 
relationship  of  a  child,  and,  as  a  consequence,  not  a  subject  of  the 
advocacy.  I  would  further  add,  that  the  subject  of  the  Lord's 
prayer  is  by  no  means  involved  in  what  is  stated  above.  I  wish  to 
confine  myself  to  the  immediate  passage  under  consideration.  We 
must  ever  avoid  laying  down  iron  rules.  A  soul  may  cry  to  God 
under  any  circumstances,  and  ask  for  what  it  needs:  He  is  over 
ready  to  hear  and  answer. 


CHAPTER    III.  91 

met  and  provided  for  the  sin,  which  He  knows  to  be 
in  us,  by  the  blood  of  atonement;  and  hence,  of 
the  leavened  bread  in  the  peace-offering,  we  read, 
"Of  it  he  shall  oifer  one  out  of  the  whole  oblation 
for  a  heave  offering  unto  the  Lord,  and  it  shall  be 
the  priest's  that  sprinkleth  the  blood  of  the  peace- 
offerings."  (Ver.  14.)  In  other  words,  the  "leaven" 
in  the  worshiper's  nature  was  perfectly  met  by  the 
"blood"  of  the  sacrifice.  The  priest  who  gets  the 
leavened  bread  must  be  the  sprinkler  of  the  blood. 
God  has  put  our  sin  out  of  His  sight  forever. 
Though  it  be  in  us,  it  is  not  the  object  on  which 
His  e}Te  rests.  He  sees  only  the  blood,  and  there- 
fore He  can  go  on  with  us,  and  allow  us  the  most 
unhindered  fellowship  with  Him.  But  if  we  allow 
the  "sm"  which  is  in  us  to  develop  itself  in  the 
shape  of  "sms,"  there  must  be  confession,  forgive- 
ness, and  cleansing  ere  we  can  again  eat  of  the  flesh 
of  the  Peace-offering.  The  cutting  off  of  the  wor- 
shiper because  of  ceremonial  uncleanness,  answers 
to  the  suspension  of  the  believer's  communion  now 
because  of  unconfessed  sin.  To  attempt  to  have 
fellowship  with  God  in  our  sins  would  involve  the 
blasphemous  insinuation  that  He  could  walk  in 
companionship  with  sin.  "If  we  say  that  we  have 
fellowship  with  Him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie, 
and  do  not  the  truth."  (1  John  i.  6.) 

In  the  light  of  the  foregoing  line  of  truth,  we  may 
easily  see  how  much  we  err  when  we  imagine  it  to 
be  a  mark  of  spirituality  to  be  occupied  with  our 
sins.  Could  sin  or  sins  ever  be  the  ground  or 


92  LEVITICUS. 

material  of  our  communion  with  God  ?  Assuredly 
not.  We  have  just  seenHhat,  so  long  as  sin  is  the 
object  before  us,  communion  must  be  interrupted. 
Fellowship  can  only  be  "in  the  light;"  and,  un- 
doubtedly, there  is  no  sin  in  the  light.  There  is 
naught  to  be  seen  there  save  the  blood  which  has  put 
our  sins  away  and  brought  us  nigh,  and  the  Advo- 
cate which  keeps  us  nigh.  Sin  has  been  forever 
obliterated  from  that  platform  on  which  God  and 
the  worshiper  stand  in  hallowed  fellowship.  What 
was  it  which  constituted  the  material  of  communion 
between  the  father  and  the  prodigal  ?  Was  it  the 
rags  of  the  latter?  Was  it  the  husks  of  "the  far 
country"  ?  By  no  means.  It  was  not  any  thing  that 
the  prodigal  brought  with  him  :  it  was  the  rich  pro- 
vision of  the  father's  love— "the  fatted  calf."  Thus 
it  is  with  God  and  every  true  worshiper.  They  feed 
together,  in  holy  and  elevated  communion,  upon 
Him  whose  precious  blood  has  brought  them  into 
everlasting  association,  in  that  light  to  which  no 
sin  can  ever  approach. 

Nor  need  we,  for  an  instant,  suppose  that  true 
humility  is  either  evidenced  or  promoted  by  looking 
at  or  dwelling  upon  our  sins.  An  unhallowed  and 
melancholy  mopishness  may  thus  be  superinduced  ; 
but  the  deepest  humility  springs  from  a  totally  dif- 
ferent source.  Whether  was  the  prodigal  a  humbler 
man  "when  he  came  to  himself"  in  the  far  country, 
or  when  he  came  to  the  father's  bosom  and  the 
father's  house  ?  Is  it  not  evident  that  the  grace 
which  elevates  us  to  the  loftiest  heights  of  fellowship 


CHAPTER    III.  9o 

with  God  is  that  alone  which  leads  us  into  the  most 
profound  depths  of  a  genuine  humility  ?  Unques- 
tionably. The  humility  which  springs  from  the 
removal  of  our  sins  must  ever  be  deeper  than  that 
which  springs  from  the  discovery  of  them.  The 
former  connects  us  with  God :  the  latter  has  to  do 
with  self.  The  way  to  be  truly  humble  is  to  walk 
with  God  in  the  intelligence  and  power  of  the  rela- 
tionship in  which  He  has  set  us.  He  has  made  us 
His  children ;  and  if  only  we  walk  as  such,  we  shall 
be  humble. 

Ere  leaving  this  part  of  our  subject,  I  would  offer 
a  remark  as  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  which,  as  being  a 
prominent  act  of  the  Church's  communion,  may, 
with  strict  propriety,  be  looked  at  in  connection 
with  the  doctrine  of  the  peace-offering.  The  intel- 
ligent celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  must  ever 
depend  upon  the  recognition  of  its  purely  eucharistic 
or  thanksgiving  character.  It  is  very  especially  a 
feast  of  thanksgiving — thanksgiving  for  an  accom- 
plished redemption.  "The  cup  of  blessing  which 
we  bless,  is  it  not  the  communion  of  the  blood  of 
Christ?  The  bread  which  we  break,  is  it  not  the 
communion  of  the  body  of  Christ?"  (1  Cor.  x. 
16.)  Hence,  a  soul  bowed  down  under  the  heavy 
burden  of  sin  cannot,  with  spiritual  intelligence, 
eat  the  Lord's  Supper,  inasmuch  as  that  feast  is 
expressive  of  the  complete  removal  of  sin  by  the 
death  of  Christ. — "Ye  do  show  the  Lord's  death 
till  He  come."  (1  Cor.  xi.)  In  the  death  of  Christ, 
faith  sees  the  end  of  every  thing  that  pertained  to 


94  LEVITICUS. 

our  old-creation  standing;  .and  seeing  that  the 
Lord's  Supper  "shows  forth"  that  death,  it  is  to 
be  viewed  as  the  memento  of  the  glorious  fact  that 
the  believer's  burden  of  sin  was  borne  by  One  who 
put  it  away  forever.  It  declares  that  the  chain  of 
our  sins,  which  once  tied  and  bound  us,  has  been 
eternally  snapped  by  the  death  of  Christ,  and  can 
never  tie  and  bind  us  again.  We  gather  round  the 
Lord's  table  in  all  the  joy  of  conquerors.  We  look 
back  to  the  cross,  where  the  battle  was  fought  and 
won ;  and  we  look  forward  to  the  glory,  where  we 
shall  enter  into  the  full  and  eternal  results  of  the 
victory. 

True,  we  have  "  leaven  "m  us;  but  we  have  no 
44  lint-leanness  "  on  us.  We  are  not  to  gaze  upon  our 
sins,  but  upon  Him  who  bore  them  on  the  cross  and 
put  them  away  forever.  We  are  not  to  ' '  deceive 
ourselves ' '  by  the  vain  notion  ' '  that  we  have  no 
sin"  in  us  ;  nor  are  we  to  deny  the  truth  of  God's 
Word,  and  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  blood,  by  refusing 
to  rejoice  in  the  precious  truth  that  we  have  no 
sin  on  us,  for  "the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  It  is  truly  deplorable 
to  observe  the  heavy  cloud  that  gathers  round  the 
Supper  of  the  Lord,  in  the  judgment  of  so  many 
professing  Christians.  It  tends,  as  much  as  any 
thing  else,  to  reveal  the  immense  amount  of  misap- 
prehension which  obtains  in  reference  to  the  very 
elementary  truths  of  the  gospel.  In  fact,  we  know 
that  when  the  Lord's  Supper  is  resorted  to  on  any 
ground  save  that  of  known  salvation — enjoyed  for- 


CHAPTER  m.  95 

giveness— conscious  deliverance,  the  soul  becomes 
wrapped  up  in  thicker  and  darker  mists  than  ever. 
That  which  is  only  a  memorial  of  Christ  is  used  to 
displace  Him, — that  which  celebrates  an  accom- 
plished redemption  is  used  as  a  stepping-stone 
thereto.  It  is  thus  that  the  ordinances  are  abused, 
and  souls  plunged  in  darkness,  confusion,  and  error. 

How  different  from  this  is  the  beautiful  ordinance 
of  the  peace-offering !  In  this  latter,  looked  at  in 
its  typical  import,  we  see  that  the  moment  the 
blood  was  shed,  God  and  the  worshiper  could  feed 
in  happy,  peaceful  fellowship.  Nothing  more  was 
needed.  Peace  was  established  by  the  blood,  and 
on  that  ground  the  communion  proceeded.  A  single 
question  as  to  the  establishment  of  peace  must  be 
the  death-blow  to  communion.  If  we  are  to  be 
occupied  with  the  vain  attempt  to  make  peace  with 
God,  we  must  be  total  strangers  to  either  commun- 
ion or  worship.  If  the  blood  of  the  peace-offering 
has  not  been  shed,  it  is  impossible  that  we  can  feed 
upon  "the  wave  breast"  or  "the  heave  shoulder.'* 
But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the  blood  has  been  shed, 
then  peace  is  made  already.  God  Himself  has  made 
it,  and  this  is  enough  for  faith ;  and  therefore,  by 
faith,  we  have  fellowship  with  God,  in  the  intelli- 
gence and  joy  of  accomplished  redemption.  "VVe 
taste  the  freshness  of  God's  own  joy  in  that  which 
He  has  wrought.  We  feed  upon  Christ  in  all  the 
fullness  and  blessedness  of  God's  presence. 

This  latter  point  is  connected  with  and  based  upon 
another  leading  truth  laid  down  in  "the  law  of  the 
8 


96  LEVITICUS. 

peace-offering." — uAnd  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of 
his  peace-oiferings  for  thanksgiving  shall  be  eaten 
the  same  day  that  it  is  offered :  he  shall  not  leave 
any  of  it  until  the  morning."  That  is  to  say,  the 
communion  of  the  worshiper  must  never  be  sepa- 
rated from  the  sacrifice  on  which  that  communion  is 
founded.  So  long  as  one  has  spiritual  energy  to 
maintain  the  connection,  the  worship  and  commun- 
ion are  also  maintained,  in  freshness  and  accepta- 
bleness  ;  but  no  longer.  We  must  keep  dose  to  the 
Sacrifice,  in  the  spirit  of  our  minds,  the  affections  of 
our  hearts,  and  the  experience  of  our  souls.  This 
will  impart  power  and  permanency  to  our  worship. 
We  may  commence  some  act  or  expression  of  wor- 
ship with  our  hearts  in  immediate  occupation  with 
Christ,  and  ere  we  reach  the  close  we  may  become 
occupied  with  what  we  are  doing  or  saying,  or  with 
the  persons  who  are  listening  to  us,  and,  in  this  way, 
fall  into  what  may  be  termed  "  iniquity  in  our  holy 
things."  This  is  deeply  solemn,  and  should  make 
us  very  watchful.  We  may  begin  our  worship  in 
the  Spirit  and  end  in  the  flesh.  Our  care  should 
ever  be,  not  to  suffer  ourselves  to  proceed  for  a 
single  moment  "beyond  the  energy  of  the  Spirit,  at 
the  time  ;  for  the  Spirit  will  always  keep  us  occupied 
directly  with  Christ.  'If  the  Holy  Ghost  produces 
4 'five  words"  of  worship  or  thanksgiving,  let  us 
utter  the  five  and  have  done.  If  we  proceed  fur- 
ther, we  are  eating  the  flesh  of  our  sacrifice  beyond 
the  time  ;  and,  so  far  from  its  being  "accepted,"  it 
is  really  "an  abomination."  Let  us  remember  this, 


CHAPTER    III.  97 

and  be  watchful.  It  need  not  alarm  us.  God  would 
have  us  led  by  the  Spirit,  and  so  filled  with  Christ 
in  all  our  worship.  He  can  only  accept  of  that  which 
is  divine,  and  therefore  He  would  have  us  present- 
ing that  only  which  is  divine. 

4 'But  if  the  sacrifice  of  his  offering  t>e  a  vow  or  a 
voluntary-offering,  it  shall  be  eaten  the  same  day 
that  he  offereth  his  sacrifice :  and  on  the  morrow  also 
the  remainder  of  it  shall  be  eaten.1'  (Chap.  vii.  16.) 
When  the  soul  goes  forth  to  God  in  a  voluntary  act 
of  worship,  such  worship  will  be  the  result  of  a 
larger  measure  of  spiritual  energy  than  where  it 
merely  springs  from  some  special  mercy  experi- 
enced at  the  time.  If  one  had  been  visited  with 
some  marked  favor  from  the  Lord's  own  hand,  the 
soul  at  once  ascends  in  thanksgiving.  In  this  case, 
the  worship  is  awakened  by  and  connected  with  that 
favor  or  mercy,  whatever  it  may  happen  to  be,  and 
there  it  ends ;  but  where  the  heart  is  led  forth  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  some  voluntary  or  deliberate  ex- 
pression of  praise,  it  will  be  of  a  more  enduring 
character.  But  spiritual  worship  will  alwa}<s  con- 
nect itself  with  the  precious  sacrifice  of  Christ. 

' 4  The  remainder  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice,  on 
the  third  day,  shall  be  burnt  with  fire.  And  if  any 
of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  his  peace-offerings 
be  eaten  at  all  on  the  third  day,  it  shall  not  be  ac- 
cepted, neither  shall  it  be  imputed  unto  him  4,hat 
offereth  it:  it  shall  be  an  abomination,  and  the  soul 
that  eateth  of  it  shall  bear  his  iniquity."  Nothing  is 
of  any  value,  in  the  judgment  of  God,  which  is  not 


98  LEVITICUS. 

immediately  connected  with  Christ.  There  may  be 
a  great  deal  of  what  looks  like  worship,  which  is, 
after  all,  the  mere  excitement  and  outgoing  of  nat- 
ural feeling ;  there  may  be  much  apparent  devotion, 
which  is  merely  fleshly  pietism.  Nature  may  be 
acted  upon,  in  a  religious  way,  by  a  variety  of 
things,  such  as  pomp,  ceremony,  and  parade,  tones 
and  attitudes,  robes  and  vestments,  an  eloquent  lit- 
urgy, all  the  varied  attractions  of  a  splendid  ritual- 
ism, wrhile  there  may  be  a  total  absence  of  spiritual 
worship.  Yea,  it  not  {infrequently  happens  that  the 
very  same  tastes  and  tendencies  which  are  called 
forth  and  gratified  by  the  splendid  appliances  of 
so-called  religious  worship,  would  find  most  suited 
aliment  at  the  opera  or  in  the  concert-room. 

All  this  has  to  be  watched  against  by  those  who 
desire  to  remember  that  "God  is  a  spirit,  and  they 
that  worship  Him  must  worship  Him  in  spirit  and 
in  truth."  (Jolmiv.)  Religion,  so  called,  is,  at 
this  moment,  decking  herself  with  her  most  power- 
ful charms.  Casting  off  the  grossness  of  the  middle 
ages,  she  is  calling  to  her  aid  all  the  resources  of 
refined  taste,  and  of  a  cultivated  and  enlightened 
age.  Sculpture,  music,  and  painting  are  pouring 
their  rich  treasures  into  her  lap,  in  order  that  she 
ma}T  therewith  prepare  a  powerful  opiate  to  lull  the 
thoughtless  multitude  into  a  slumber,  which  shall 
only  be  broken  in  upon  by  the  unutterable  horrors 
of  death,  judgment,  and  the  lake  of  fire.  She,  too, 
can  say,  "I  have  peace-offerings  with  me  ;  this  day 
have  I  paid  my  vows I  have  decked  my 


CHAPTER    III.  99 

bed  with  coverings  of  tapestry,  with  carved  works, 
with  fine  linen  of  Egypt.  I  have  perfumed  my  bed 
with  myrrh,  aloes,  and  cinnamon."  (Prov.  vii.) 
Thus  does  corrupt  religion  allure,  by 'her  powerful 
influence,  those  who  will  not  hearken  to  Wisdom's 
heavenly  voice. 

Reader,  beware  of  all  this.  See  that  your  worship 
stands  inseparably  connected  with  the  work  of  the 
cross.  See  that  Christ  is  the  ground,  Christ  the 
material,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  the  power  of  your 
worship.  Take  care  that  your  outward  act  of 
worship  does  not  stretch  itself  beyond  the  inward 
power.  It  demands  much  watchfulness  to  keep 
clear  of  this  evil.  Its  incipient  workings  are  most 
difficult  to  be  detected  and  counteracted.  We  may 
commence  a  hymn  in  the  true  spirit  of  worship, 
and,  through  lack  of  spiritual  power,  we  maj",  ere 
we  reach  the  close,  fall  into  the  evil  which  answers 
to  the  ceremonial  act  of  eating  the  flesh  of  the 
peace-offering  on  the  third  day.  Our  only  security 
is  in  keeping  close  to  Jesus.  If  we  lift  up  our 
hearts  in  "  thanksgiving  "  for  some  special  mercy, 
let  us  do  so  in  the  power  of  the  name  and  sacrifice 
of  Christ.  If  our  souls  go  forth  in  "voluntary" 
worship,  let  it  be  in  the  energy  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
In  this  way  shall  our  worship  exhibit  that  freshness, 
that  fragrance,  that  depth  of  tone,  that  moral  eleva- 
tion, which  must  result  from  having  the  Father  as 
the  object,  the  Son  as  the  ground,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  the  power  of  our  worship.* 

*The  statement  in  the  text  affords  no  warrant  for  the  idea  that 


100  LEVITICUS. 

/ 

Thus  may  it  be,  O  Lord,  with  all  Thy  worshiping 
people,  until  we  find  ourselves  —  body,  soul,  and 
spirit — in  the  security  of  Thine  own  eternal  pres- 
ence, beyond  the  reach  of  all  the  unhallowed  in- 
fluences of  false  worship  and  corrupt  religion,  and 
also  beyond  the  reach  of  the  various  hindrances 
which  arise  from  these  bodies  of  sin  and  death 
which  we  carry  about  with  us  ! 


NOTE. — It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  although 
the  peace-offering  itself  stands  third  in  order,  yet 
"the  law"  thereof  is  given  us  last  of  all.  This 
circumstance  is  not  without  its  import.  There  is 
none  of  the  offerings  in  which  the  communion  of 
the  worshiper  is  so  fully  unfolded  as  in  the  peace- 
offering.  In  the  burnt-offering,  it  is  Christ  offering 

our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  not,  equally  with  the  Father,  the  object  of 
•worship.  We  utterly  abhor  and  reject  such  a  blasphemy. 

Let  the  reader  turn  to  John  v.  23— "That  all  men  should  honor 
the  Son,  even  as  they  honor  the  Father.  He  that  honoreth  not  the 
Son  honoi'eth  not  the  Father  which  hath  sent  Him."  How  can  any 
one,  in  the  face  of  such  a  passage  as  this,  attempt  to  teach  that 
it  is  wrong  to  present  worship  to  the  Loi'd  Jesus  ?  Woe  be  to  the 
man  Avho  so  teaches  !  He  is  plainly  at  issue  with  God. 

Again,  look  at  Rev.  v.  12— "Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain 
to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing."  What  mean  these  words  if  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  not  to  be  addressed  in  prayer  or  worship? 

Was  the  martyr,  Stephen,  wrong  when  he  said,  "Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit"?  Was  Paul  mistaken  when  he  besought  the 
Lord  to  remove  the  thorn  ? 

But  it  is  needless  to  multiply  passages:  the  teaching  of  the 
inspired  volume,  from  cover  to  cover,  establishes,  beyond  all 
question,  the  rightness  of  presenting  prayer  and  worship  to  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  therefore  all  who  teach  otherwise  are  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  Word  of  God. 


CHAPTER    III.  f  101 

Himself  to  God.  In  the  meat-offering,  we  have 
Christ's  perfect  humanity.  Then,  passing  on  to 
the  sin-offering,  we  learn  that  s*«,  in  its  root,  is 
fully  met.  In  the  trespass-offering,  there  is  a  full 
answer  to  the  actual  sins,  in  the  life.  But  in  none 
is  the  doctrine  of  the  communion  of  the  worshiper 
unfolded.  This  latter  belongs  to  "the  peace- 
offering;"  and  hence,  I  believe,  the  position  which 
the  law  of  that  offering  occupies.  It  comes  in  at 
the  close  of  all,  thereby  teaching  us  that,  when  it 
becomes  a  question  of  the  soul's  feeding  upon 
Christ,  it  must  be  a  full  Christ, — looked  at  in  every 
possible  phase  of  His  life,  His  character,  His  Per- 
son, His  work,  His  offices ;  and,  furthermore,  that, 
when  we  shall  have  done  forever  with  sin  and  sins, 
we  shall  delight  in  Christ,  and  feed  upon  Him, 
throughout  the  everlasting  ages.  It  would,  I  be- 
lieve, be  a  serious  defect  in  our  study  of  the 
offerings  were  we  to  pass  over  a  circumstance  so 
worthy  of  notice  as  the  above.  If  "the  law  of  the 
peace-offering"  were  given  in  the  order  in  which 
the  offering  itself  occurs,  it, would  come  in  imme- 
diately after  the  law  of  the  meat-offering ;  but 
instead  of  that,  "the  law  of  the  sin-offering"  and 
"the  law  of  the  trespass-offering"  are  given,  and 
then  "the  law  of  the  peace-offering"  closes  the 
entire. 


CHAPTER   IV.— V.  13. 

HAVING  considered  the  "sweet  savor"  offerings, 
we  now  approach  the  "sacrifices  for  sin." 
These  were  divided  into  two  classes,  namely,  sin- 
offerings  and  trespass-offerings.  Of  the  former, 
there  were  three  grades ;  first,  the  offering  for  "the 
priest  that  is  anointed,"  and  for  "the  whole  con- 
gregation." These  two  were  the  same  in  their  rites 
and  ceremonies.  (Compare  ver.  3-12  with  ver.  13- 
21.)  It  was  the  same  in  result,  whether  it  were 
the  representative  of  the  assembly  or  the  assembly 
itself  that  sinned.  In  either  case  there  were  three 
things  involved, — God's  dwelling-place  in  the  as- 
sembly, the  worship  of  the  assembly,  and  individual 
conscience.  Now,  inasmuch  as  all  three  depended 
upon  the  blood,  we  find,  in  the  first  grade  of  sin- 
offering,  there  were  three  things  done  with  the 
blood.  It  was  sprinkled  "seven  times  before  the 
Lord,  before  the  vail  of  the  sanctuary."  This  se- 
cured Jehovah's  relationship  with  the  people,  and 
His  dwelling  in  their  midst.  Again,  we  read,  "The 
priest  shall  put  some  of  the  blood  upon  the  horns  of 
the  altar  of  sweet  incense  before  the  Lord,  which 
is  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation."  This 
secured  the  worship  of  the  assembly.  By  putting 
the  blood  upon  "the  golden  altar,"  the  true  basis 
of  worship  was  preserved  ;  so  that  the  flame  of  the 
incense  and  the  fragrance  thereof  "might  continually 
ascend.  Finally,  "He  shall  pour  all  the  blood  of 


CHAPTER   IV.-V.    13.  103 

the  bullock  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar  of  the  burnt- 
offering,  which  is  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation."  Here,  we  have  the  claims  of 
individual  conscience  fully  answered  ;  for  the  brazen 
altar  was  the  place  of  individual  approach, — it  was 
the  place  where  God  met  the  sinner. 

In  the  two  remaining  grades — for  "a  ruler"  or 
44  one  of  the  common  people,"  it  was  merely  a  ques- 
tion of  individual  conscience,  and  therefore  there 
was  only  one  thing  done  with  the  blood, — it  was 
all  pouted  "at  the  bottom  of  the  altar  of  burnt- 
offering."  (Comp.  ver.  7  with  ver.  25,  30.)  There 
is  divine  precision  in  all  this,  which  demands  the 
close  attention  of  my  reader,  if  only  he  desires  to 
enter  into  the  marvelous  detail  of  this  type.* 

*There  is  this  difference  between  the  offering  for  "a  ruler"  and 
for  "one  of  the  common  people:"  in  the  former,  it  was  "a  male 
without  blemish ; "  in  the  latter,  "  a  female  without  blemish."  The 
sin  of  a  ruler  would  necessarily  exert  a  wider  influence  than  that 
of  a  common  person,  and  therefore  a  more  powerful  application  of 
the  value  of  the  blood  was  needed.  In  chapter  v.  13,  we  find  cases 
demanding  a  still  lower  application  of  the  sin-offering— cases  of 
swearing,  and  of  touching  any  uncleanness,  in  which  "  the  tenth 
part  of  an  ephah  of  fine  flour"  was  admitted  as  a  sin-offering. 
(See  chap.  v.  11-13.)  What  a  contrast  between  the  view  of  atone- 
ment presented  by  a  ruler's  bullock  and  a  poor  man's  handful  of 
flour  !  And  yet,  in  the  latter,  just  as  truly  as  in  the  former,  we 
read,  "It  shall  be  forgiven  him." 

The  reader  will  observe  that  chapter  v.  1-13  forms  a  part  of 
chapter  iv.  Both  are  comprehended  under  one  head,  and  present 
the  doctrine  of  the  sin-offering  in  all  its  applications,  from  the 
bullock  to  the  handful  of  flour.  Each  class  of  offering  is  introduced 
by  the  words,  "And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses."  Thus,  for  ex- 
ample, the  sweet  savor  offerings  (chap,  i.-iii.)  are  introduced  by  the 
words,  "The  Lord  called  unto  Moses."  These  words  are  not  re- 
peated until  chapter  iv.  1,  where  they  introduce  the  sin-offering. 
They  occur  again  at  chapter  v.  14,  where  they  introduce  the 
trespass -offering  for  wrongs  done  "in  the  holy  things  of  the 


104  LEVITICUS. 

The  effect  of  individual  sin  could  not  extend 
beyond  individual  conscience.  The  sin  of  "a 
ruler,"  or  of  "one  of  the  common  people,"  could 
not,  in  its  influence,  reach  "the  altar  of  incense" 
— the  place  of  priestly  worship ;  neither  could  it 
reach  to  "the  vail  of  tlfe  sanctuary" — the  sacred 
boundary  of  God's  dwelling-place  in  the  midst  of 
His  people.  It  is  well  to  ponder  this.  We  must 
never  raise  a  question  of  personal  sin  or  failure 
in  the  place  of  priestly  worship  or  in  the  assembly; 
it  must  be  settled  in  the  place  of  personal  approach. 
Many  err  as  to  this.  They  come  into  the  assembly, 
or  into  the  ostensible  place  of  priestly  worship, 
with  their  conscience  defiled,  and  thus  drag  down 
the  whole  assembly  and  mar  its  worship.  This 
should  be  closely  looked  into,  and  carefully  guarded 
against.  We  need  to  walk  more  watchfully,  in  order 
that  our  conscience  may  ever  be  in  the  light.  And 
when  we  fail,  (as,  alas!  we  do  in  many  things,)  let 
us  have  to  do  with  God  in  secret  about  our  failure, 
in  order  that  true  worship  and  the  true  position  of 
the  assembly  may  always  be  kept  with  fullness  and 
clearness  before  the  soul. 

Having  said  thus  much  as  to  the  three  grades  of 
sin-offering,  we  shall  proceed  to  examine,  in  detail, 
the  principles  unfolded  in  the  first  of  these.  In  so 

Lord;"   and  again  at  chapter  vi.  1,  where   they   introduce  the 
trespass -offering  for  wrongs  done  to  one's  neighbor. 

This  classification  is  beautifully  simple,  and  will  help  the  reader 
to  understand  the  different  classes  of  offering.  As  to  the  different 
grades  in  each  class,  whether  " a  bullock,"  "a  ram,"  "a  female," 
"  a  bird,"  or  "a  handful  of  flour,"  they  would  seem  to  be  so  many 
varied  applications  of  the  same  grand  truth. 


CHAPTER    IV. -V.    13.  105 

doing,  we  shall  be  able  to  form,  in  some  measure,  a 
just  conception  of  the  principles  of  all.  Before, 
however,  entering  upon  the  direct  comparison  al- 
ready proposed.  I  would  call  my  reader's  attention 
to  a  very  prominent  point  set  forth  in  the  second 
verse  of  this  fourth  chapter ;  it  is  contained  in  the 
expression,  "If  a  soul  shall  sin  through  ignorance." 
This  presents  a  truth  of  the  deepest  blessedness,  in 
connection  with  the  atonement  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  In  contemplating  that  atonement,  we  see 
infinitely  more  than  the  mere  satisfaction  of  the 
claims  of  conscience,  even  though  that  conscience 
had  reached  the  highest  point  of  refined  sensibility. 
It  is  our  privilege  to  see  therein  that  which  has  fully 
satisfied  all  the  claims  of  divine  holiness,  divine 
justice,  and  divine  majest}'.  The  holiness  of  God*s 
dwelling-place,  and  the  ground  of  His  association 
with  His  people,  could  never  be  regulated  by  the 
standard  of  man's  conscience,  no  matter  how  high 
the  standard  might  be.  There  are  many  things 
which  man's  conscience  would  pass  over — many 
things  which  might  escape  man's  cognizance — many 
things  which  his  heart  might  deem  all  right,  which 
God  could  not  tolerate ;  and  which,  as  a  conse- 
quence, would  interfere  with  man's  approach  to, 
his  worship  of,  and  his  relationship  with  God. 
Wherefore,  if  the  atonement  of  Christ  merely 
made  provision  for  such1  sins  as  come  within  the 
compass  of  man's  apprehension,  we  should  find 
ourselves  very  far  short  of  the  true  ground  of 
peace.  We  need  to  understand  that  sin  has  been 


106  LEVITICUS. 

atoned  for,  according  to  God's  measurement  there- 
of— that  the  claims  of  His  throne  have  been  per- 
fectly answered — that  sin,  as  seen  in  the  light  of 
His  inflexible  holiness,  has  been  divinely  judged. 
This  is  what  gives  settled  peace  to  the  soul.  A  full 
atonement  has  been  made  for  the  believer's  sins  of 
ignorance,  as  well  as  for  his  known  sins.  The  sac- 
rifice of  Christ  lays  the  foundation  of  his  relation- 
ship and  fellowship  with  God,  according  to  the 
divine  estimate  of  the  claims  thereof. 

A  clear  sense  of  this  is  of  unspeakable  value. 
Unless  this  feature  of  the  atonement  be  laid  hold 
of,  there  cannot  be  settled  peace ;  nor  will  there  be 
any  just  moral  sense  of  the  extent  and  fullness  of 
the  work  of  Christ,  or  of  the  true  nature  of  the 
relationship  founded  thereon.  God  knew  what  was 
needed  in  order  that  man  might  be  in  His  presence 
without  a  single  misgiving,  and  He  has  made  ample 
provision  for  it  in  the  cross.  Fellowship  between 
God  and  man  were  utterly  impossible  if  sin  had 
not  been  disposed  of  according  to  God's  thoughts 
aboutit;  for,  albeit  man's  conscience  wrere  satisfied, 
the  question  would  ever  be  suggesting  itself,  Has 
God  been  satisfied  ?  If  this  question  could  not  be 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  fellowship  could  never 
subsist.*  The  thought  wrould  be  continually  intrud- 

*I  would  desire  it  to  be  particularly  remembered  that  the  point 
before  us  in  the  text  is  simply  atonement.  The  Christian  reader  is 
fully  aware,  I  doubt  not,  that  the  possession  of  "  the  divine  nature  " 
is  essential  to  fellowship  with  God.  I  not  only  need  a  title  to  ap- 
proach God,  but  a  nature  to  enjoy  Him.  The  soul  that "  believes  in 
the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God"  has  both  the  one  and 
the  other.  (See  John  i.  12, 13 ;  iii.  36 ;  v.  24 ;  xx.  31 ;  1  John  v.  11-13.) 


CHAPTER    IV. -V.    13.  107 

ing  itself  upon  the  heart,  that  things  were  mani- 
festing themselves  in  the  details  of  life  which  divine 
holiness  could  not  tolerate.  True,  we  might  be 
doing  such  things  "through  ignorance,"  but  this 
could  not  alter  the  matter  before  God,  inasmuch  as 
all  is  known  to  Him.  Hence,  there  would  be  con- 
tinual apprehension,  doubt,  and  misgiving.  All 
these  things  are  divinely  met  by  the  fact  that  sin 
has  been  atoned  for,  not  according  to  our  "igno- 
rance," but  according  to  God's  knowledge.  The 
assurance  of  this  gives  great  rest  to  the  heart  and 
conscience.  All  God's  claims  have  been  answered 
by  His  own  work.  He  Himself  has  made  the  pro- 
vision ;  and  therefore  the  more  refined  the  believer's 
conscience  becomes,  under  the  combined  action  of 
the  Word  and  Spirit  of  God — the  more  he  grows  in 
a  divinely- adjusted  sense  of  all  that  morally  befits 
the  sanctuary — the  more  keenly  alive  he  becomes 
to  every  thing  which  is  unsuited  to  the  divine  'pres- 
ence, the  fuller,  clearer,  deeper,  and  more  vigorous 
will  be  his  apprehension  of  the  infinite  value  of  that 
Sin-offering  which  has  not  only  traveled  beyond  the 
utmost  bounds  of  human  conscience,  but  also  met, 
in  absolute  perfection,  all  the  requirements  of  divine 
holiness. 

Nothing  can  more  forcibly  express  man's  incom- 
petency  to  deal  with  sin  than  the  fact  of  there  being 
such  a  thing  as  a  "sin  of  ignorance."  How  could 
he  deal  with  that  which  he  knows  not  ?  How  could 
he  dispose  of  that  which  has  never  even  come  with- 
in the  range  of  his  conscience  ?  Impossible.  Man's 


108  LEVITICUS. 

ignorance  of  sin  proves  his  total  inability  to  put  it 
away.  If  he  does  not  know  of  it,  what  can  he  do 
about  it  ?  Nothing.  He  is  as  powerless  as  he  is 
ignorant.  Nor  is  this  all.  The  fact  of  a  "sin  of 
ignorance"  demonstrates  most  clearly  the  uncer- 
tainty which  must  attend  upon  every  settlement  of 
the  question  of  sin,  in  which  no  higher  claims  have 
been  responded  to  than  those  put  forth  by  the  most 
refined  human  conscience.  There  can  never  be 
settled  peace  upon  this  ground.  There  will  always 
be  the  painful  apprehension  that  there  is  something 
wrong  underneath.  If  the  heart  be  not  led  into 
settled  repose  by  the  Scripture  testimony  that  the 
inflexible  claims  of  divine  Justice  have  been  an- 
swered, there  must,  of  necessity,  be  a  sensation 
of  uneasiness,  and  every  such  sensation  presents 
a  barrier  to  our  worship,  our  communion,  and  our 
testimony.  If  I  am  uneasy  in  reference  to  the 
settlement  of  the  question  of  sin,  I  cannot  worship, 
I  cannot  enjoy  communion  either  with  God  or  His 
people,  nor  can  I  be  an  intelligent  or  effective  wit- 
ness for  Christ.  The  heart  must  be  at  rest  before 
God  as  to  the  perfect  remission  of  sin  ere  we  can 
"worship  Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  If  there 
be  guilt  on  the  conscience,  there  must  be  terror 
in  the  heart ;  and,  assuredly,  a  heart  filled  with 
terror  cannot  be  a  happy  or  a  worshiping  heart. 
It  is  only  from  a  heart  filled  with  that  sweet  and 
sacred  repose  which  the  blood  of  Christ  imparts, 
that  true  and  acceptable  worship  can  ascend  to  the 
Father.  The  same  principle  holds  good  with  re- 


CHAPTER   IV. -V.    13.  109 

spect  to  our  fellowship  with  the  people  of  God 
and  our  service  and  testimony  amongst  men, — all 
must  rest  upon  the  foundation  of  settled  peace,  and 
this  peace  rests  upon  the  foundation  of  a  perfectly 
purged  conscience,  and  this  purged  conscience  rests 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  perfect  remission  of  all 
our  sins,  whether  they  be  «ins  of  knowledge  or  sins 
of  ignorance. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  compare  the  sin-offering 
with  the  burnt-offering,  in  doing  which  we  shall  find 
two  very  different  aspects  of  Christ.  But  although 
the  aspects  are  different,  it  is  one  and  the  same 
Christ ;  and  hence  the  sacrifice  in  each  case  was 
"without  blemish."  This  is  easily  understood.  It 
matters  not  in  what  aspect  we  contemplate  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  He  must  ever  be  seen  as  the  same 
pure,  spotless,  holy,  perfect  One.  True,  He  did,  in 
His  abounding  grace,  stoop  to  be  the  Sin-bearer  of 
His  people ;  but  it  was  a  perfect,  spotless  Christ 
who  did  so ;  and  it  would  be  nothing  short  of  dia- 
bolical wickedness  to  take  occasion  from  the  depth 
of  His  humiliation  to  tarnish  the  personal  glory 
of  the  humbled  One.  The  intrinsic  excellence,  the 
unsullied  purity,  and  the  divine  glory  of  our  blessed 
Lord  appear  in  the  sin-offering  as  fully  as  in  the 
burnt-offering.  It  matters  not  in  what  relationship 
He  stands,  what  office  He  fills,  what  work  He  per- 
forms, what  position  He  occupies,  His  personal 
glories  shine  out  in  all  their  divine  effulgence. 

This  truth  of  one  and  the  same  Christ,  whether 
in  the  burnt-offering  or  in  the  sin-offering,  is  seen 


110  LEVITICUS. 

not  only  in  the  fact  that  in  each  case  the  offering 
was  "without  blemish,"  but  also  in  "the  law  of  the 
sin-offering,"  where  we  read, "This  i^the  law  of  the 
sin-offering:  In  the  place  where  the  burnt-offering 
is  killed  shall  the  sin-offering  be  killed  before  the 
Lord:  it  is  most  holy."  (Lev.  vi.  25.)  Both  types 
point  to  one  and  the  sa«ie  great  Antitype,  though 
they  present  Him  in  such  contrasted  aspects  of  His 
work.  In  the  burnt-offering,  Christ  is  seen  meeting 
the  divine  affections  ;  in  the  sin-offering,  He  is  seen 
meeting  the  depths  of  human  need.  That  presents 
Him  to  us  as  the  Accomplisher  of  the  will  of  God ; 
this,  as  the  Bearer  of  the  sin  of  man.  In  the 
former,  we  are  taught  the  preciousness  of  the  Sac- 
rifice ;  in  the  latter,  the  hatefulness  of  sin.  Thus 
much  as  to  the  two  offerings,  in  the  main.  The  most 
minute  examination  of  the  details  will  only  tend 
to  establish  the  mind  in  the  truth  of  this  general 
statement. 

In  the  first  place,  when  considering  the  burnt- 
offering,  we  observed  that  it  was  a  voluntary  offer- 
ing.— "He  shall  offer  it  of  his  own  voluntary  will."* 
Now,  the  word  "voluntary "does  not  occur  in  the 
sin-offering.  This  is  precisely  what  we  might  expect. 
It  is  in  full  keeping  with  the  specific  object  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  in  the  burnt-offering,  to  set  it  forth  as 

*Some  may  find  difficulty  in  the  fact  that  the  word  "  voluntary" 
has  reference  to  the  worshiper  and  not  to  the  sacrifice ;  but  this 
can  in  no  wi?e  affect  the  doctrine  put  forward  in  the  text,  which 
is  founded  upon  the  fact  that  a  special  word  used  in  the  burnt- 
offering  is  omitted  in  the  sin-offering.  The  contrast  holds  good 
•whether  we  think  of  the  offerer  or  the  offering. 


CHAPTER   IV.-V.    13.  Ill 

a  free-will  offering.  It  was  Christ's  meat  and  drink 
to  do  the  will  of  God,  whatever  that  will  might  be. 
He  never  thought  of  inquiring  what  ingredients 
were  in  the  cup  which  the  Father  was  putting  into 
His  hand.  It  was  quite  sufficient  for  Him  that  the 
Father  had  mingled  it.  Thus  it  was  with  the  Lord 
Jesus  as  foreshadowed  by  the  burnt-offering.  But 
in  the  sin-offering,  we  have  quite  a  different  line  of 
truth  unfolded.  This  type  introduces  Christ  to  our 
thoughts,  not  as  the  "voluntary"  Accomplisher  of 
the  will  of  God,  but  as  the  Bearer  of  that  terrible 
thing  called  "sin,"  and  the  Endurer  of  all  its  ap- 
palling consequences,  of  which  the  most  appalling 
to  Him  was  the  hiding  of  God's  countenance. 
Hence,  the  word  "voluntary"  would  not  harmonize 
with  the  object  of  the  Spirit  in  the  sin-offering. 
It  would  be  as  completely  out  of  place  in  that  type 
as  it  is  divinely  in  place  in  the  burnt-offering.  Its 
presence  and  its  absence  are  alike  divine ;  and  both 
alike  exhibit  the  perfect,  the  divine  precision  of  the 
types  of  Leviticus. 

Now,  the  point  of  contrast  which  we  have  been 
considering,  explains,  or  rather  harmonizes,  two 
expressions  used  by  our  Lord.  He  says,  on  one 
occasion,  "The  cup  which  My  Father  hath  given 
Me,  shall  I  not  drink  it?"  And  again,  "Father, 
if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  Me."  The 
former  of  these  expressions  was  the  full  carrying 
out  of  the  words  with  which  He  entered  upon  His 
course,  namely,  "Lo,  I  come  to  do  Thy  will,  O 
God;"  and,  moreover,  it  is  the  utterance  of  Christ 
9 


112  LEVITICUS. 

as  the  Burnt-offering.  The  latter,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  the  Utterance  of  Christ  when  contempla- 
ting the  place  which  He  was  about  to  occupy  as 
the  Sin-offering.  What  that  place  was,  and  what 
was  involved  to  Him  in  taking  it,  we  shall  see  as  we 
proceed  ;  but  it  is  interesting  and  instructive  to  find 
the  entire  doctrine  of  the  two  offerings  involved,  as 
it  were,  in  the  fact  that  a  single  word  introduced  in 
the  one  is  omitted  in  the  other.  If  in  the  burnt- 
offering  we  find  the  perfect  readiness  of  heart  with 
which  Christ  offered  Himself  for  the  accomplishment 
of  the  will  of  God,  then  in  the  sin-offering  we  find 
how  perfectly  He  entered  into  all  the  consequences 
of  man's  sin,  and  how  He  traveled  into  the  most 
remote  distance  of  man's  position  as  regards  God. 
He  delighted  to  do  the  will  of  God  ;  He  shrank  from 
losing,  for  a  moment,  the  light  of  His  blessed  coun- 
tenance. No  one  offering  could  have  foreshadowed 
Him  in  both  these  phases.  We  needed  a  type  to 
present  Him  to  us  as  One  delighting  to  do  the  will 
of  God,  and  we  needed  a  type  to  present  Him  to  us 
as  One  whose  holy  nature  shrank  from  the  conse- 
quences of  imputed  sin.  Blessed  be  God,  we  have 
both.  The  burnt-offering  furnishes  the  one ;  the 
sin-offering,  the  other.  Wherefore,  the  more  fully 
we  enter  into  the  devotion  of  Christ's  heart  to  God, 
the  more  fully  we  shall  apprehend  His  abhorrence 
of  sin  ;  and  vice  versa.  Each  throws  the  other  into 
relief;  and  the  use  of  the  word  "voluntary"  in  the 
one  and  not  in  the. other,  fixes  the  leading  import 
of  each. 


CHAPTER    IV. -V.    13.  113 

But  it  may  be  said,  Was  it  not  the  will  of  God 
that  Christ  should  offer  Himself  as  an  atonement 
for  sin  ?  and  if  so,  how  could  there  be  aught  of 
shrinking  from  the  accomplishment  of  that  will  ? 
Assuredly,  it  was4 'the  determinate  counsel' 'of  God 
that  Christ  should  suffer,  and,  moreover,  it  was 
Christ's  joy  to  do  the  will  of  God ;  but  how  are 
we  to  understand  the  expression,  "If  it  be  possible, 
let  this  cup  pass  from  Me"?  Is  it  not  the  utterance 
of  Christ  ?  And  is  there  no  express  type  of  the 
Utterer  thereof  ?  Unquestionably.  There  would 
be  a  serious  blank  among  the  types  of  the  Mosaic 
economy  were  there  not  one  to  reflect  the  Lord 
Jesus  in  the  exact  attitude  in  which  the  above  ex- 
pression presents  Him.  But  the  burnt-offering  does 
not  thus  reflect  Him.  There  is  not  a  single  cir- 
cumstance connected  with  that  offering  which  would 
correspond  with  such  language.  The  sin-offering 
alone  furnishes  the  fitting  type  of  the  Lord  Jesus  as 
the  One  who  poured  forth  those  accents  of  intense 
agony ;  for  in  it  alone  do  we  find  the  circumstances 
which  evoked  such  accents  from  the  depths  of  His 
spotless  soul.  The  awful  shadow  of  the  cross,  with 
its  shame,  its  curse,  and  its  exclusion  from  the  light 
of  God's  countenance,  was  passing  across  His  spirit, 
and  He  could  not  even  contemplate  it  without  an 
"If  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  Me."  But 
no  sooner  had  He  uttered  these  words  than  His 
profound  subjection  manifests  itself  in  "Thy  will 
be  done."  What  a  bitter  "cup"  it  must  have  been 
to  elicit  from  a  perfectly  subject  heart  the  words, 


114  LEVITICUS. 

"Let  it  pass  from  Me"!  What  perfect  subjection 
there  must  have  been,  when,  in  the  presence  of  so 
bitter  a  cup,  the  heart  could  breath  forth,  "Thy 
will  be  done"! 

We  shall  now  consider  the  typical  act  of  "laying 
on  of  hands."  This  act  was  common  both  to  the 
burnt-offering  and  the  sin-offering ;  but  in  the  case 
of  the-'former,  it  identified  the  offerer  with  an  un- 
blemished offering ;  in  the  case  of  the  latter,  it 
involved  the  transfer  of  the  sin  of  the  offerer  to  the 
head  of  the  offering.  Thus  it  was  in  the  type  ;  and 
when  we  look  at  the  Antitype,  we  learn  a  truth  of 
the  most  comforting  and  edifying  nature — a  truth 
which,  were  it  more  clearly  understood  and  fully 
experienced,  would  impart  a  far  more  settled  peace 
than  is  ordinarily  possessed. 

What,  then,  is  the  doctrine  set  forth  in  the  laying 
on  of  hands  ?  It  is  this  :  Christ  was  "made  sin  for 
us,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God 
in  Him."  (2  Cor.  v. )  He  took  our  position  with 
all  its  consequences,  in  order  that  we  might  get  His 
position  with  all  its  consequences.  He  was  treated 
as  sin  upon  the  cross,  that  we  might  be  treated  as 
righteousness  in  the  presence  of  Infinite  Holiness. 
He  was  cast  out  of  God's  presence  because  He  had 
sin  on  Him  by  imputation,  that  we  might  be  received 
into  God's  house  and  into  His  bosom  because  we 
have  a  perfect  righteousness  by  imputation.  He  had 
to  endure  the  hiding  of  God's  countenance,  that  we 
might  bask  in  the  light  of  that  countenance.  He 
had  to  pass  through  three  hours'  darkness,  that  we 


CHAPTER    IV.-V.    13.  115 

might  walk  in  everlasting  light.  He  was  forsaken  of 
God  for  a  time,  that  we  might  enjoy  His  presence 
forever.  All  that  was  due  to  us  as  ruined  sinners 
was  laid  upon  Him,  in  order  that  all  that  was  due 
to  Him  as  the  Accomplisher  of  redemption  might 
be  ours.  There  was  every  thing  against  Him  when 
He  hung  upon  the  cursed  tree,  in  order  that  there 
might  be  nothing  against  us.  He  was  identified 
with  us  in  the  reality  of  death  and  judgment,  in 
order  that  we  might  be  identified  with  Him  in  the 
reality  of  life  and  righteousness.  He  drank  the  cup 
of  wrath — the  cup  of  trembling,  that  we  might  drink 
the  cup  of  salvation — the  cup  of  infinite  favor.  He 
was  treated  according  to  our  deserts,  that  we  might 
be  treated  according  to  His. 

Such  is  the  wondrous  truth  illustrated  by  the 
ceremonial  act  of  imposition  of  hands.  When  the 
worshiper  had  laid  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the 
burnt-offering,  it  ceased  to  be  a  question  as  to  what 
he  was  or  what  He  deserved,  and  became  entirely  a 
-question  of  what  the  offering  was  in  the  judgment 
of  Jehovah.  If  the  offering  was  without  blemish, 
so  was  the  offerer ;  if  the  offering  was  accepted, 
so  was  the  offerer.  They  were  perfectly  identified. 
The  act  of  laying  on  of  hands  constituted  them  one 
in  God's  view.  He  looked  at  the  offerer  through 
the  medium  of  the  offering.  Thus  it  was  in  the 
case  of  the  burnt-offering.  But  in  the  sin-offering, 
when  the  offerer  had  laid  his  hand  upon  the  head  of 
the  offering,  it  became  a  question  of  what  the  offerer 
was,  and  what  he  deserved ;  the  offering  was  treated 


116  LEVITICUS. 

according  to  the  deserts  of  the  offerer.  They  were 
perfectly  identified.  The  act  of  laying  on  of  hands 
constituted  them  one  in  the  judgment  of  God.  The 
sin  of  the  offerer  was  dealt  with  in  the  sin-offering ; 
the  person  of  the  offerer  was  accepted  in  the  burnt- 
offering.  This  made  a  vast  difference.  Hence, 
though  the  act  of  laying  on  of  hands  was  common 
to  both  types,  and,  moreover,  though  it  was  express- 
ive, in  the  case  of  each,  of  identification,  yet  were 
the  consequences  as  different  as  possible.  The  just 
treated  as  the  unjust;  the  unjust  accepted  in  the 
just. — "Christ  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just 
for  the  unjust,  that  He  might  bring  us  to  God." 
This  is  the  doctrine.  Our  sins  brought  Christ  to 
the  cross,  but  He  brings  us  to  God.  And  if  He 
brings  us  to  God,  it  is  in  His  own  acceptableness, 
as  risen  from  the  dead,  having  put  away  our  sins, 
according  to  the  perfectness  of  His  own  work.  He 
bore  away  our  sins  far  from  the  sanctuary  of  God, 
in  order  that  He  might  bring  us  nigh,  even  into  the 
holiest  of  all,  in  full  confidence  of  heart,  having  the 
conscience  purged  by  His  precious  blood  from  every 
stain  of  sin. 

Now,  the  more  minutely  we  compare  all  the  de- 
tails of  the  burnt-offering  and  the  sin-offering,  the 
more  clearly  shall  we  apprehend  the  truth  of  what 
has  been  above  stated  in  reference  to  the  laying  on 
of  hands  and  the  results  thereof  in  each  case. 

In  the  first  chapter  of  this  volume,  we  noticed 
the  fact  that  "the  sons  of  Aaron"  are  introduced  in 
the  burnt-offering,  but  not  in  the  sin-offering.  As 


CHAPTER  rv.-v.  13.  117 

priests,  they  were  privileged  to  stand  around  the 
altar  and  behold  the  flame  of  an  acceptable  sacrifice 
ascending  to  the  Lord.  But  in  the  sin-offering,  in 
its  primary  aspect,  it  was  a  question  of  the  solemn 
judgment  of  sin,  and  not  of  priestly  worship  or  ad- 
miration, and  therefore  the  sons  of  Aaron  do  not 
appear.  It  is  as  convicted  sinners  that  we  have  to 
do  with  Christ  as  the  Antitype  of  the  sin-offering : 
it  is  as  worshiping  priests,  clothed  in  garments  of 
salvation,  that  we  contemplate  Christ  as  the  Anti- 
type of  the  burnt-offering. 

But,  further,  my  reader  may  observe  that  the 
burnt-offering  was  "flayed,"  the  sin-offering  was 
not;  the  burnt-offering  was  "cut  into  his  pieces," 
the  sin-offering  was  not;  "the  inwards  and  the 
legs"  of  the  burnt-offering  were  "washed  in  water," 
which  act  was  entirely  omitted  in  the  sin-offering. 
Lastly,  the  burnt-offering  was  burnt  upon  the  altar, 
the  sin-offering  was  burnt  without  the  camp.  These 
are  weighty  points  of  difference,  arising  simply  out 
of  the  distinctive  character  of  the  offerings.  We 
know  there  is  nothing  in  the  Word  of  God  without 
its  own  specific  meaning ;  and  every  intelligent  and 
careful  student  of  Scripture  will  notice  the  above 
points  of  difference,  and  when  he  notices  them,  he 
will  naturally  seek  to  ascertain  their  real  import. 
Ignorance  of  this  import  there  may  be,  but  indiffer- 
ence to  it  there  should  not.  In  any  section  of  in- 
spiration, but  especially  one  so  rich  as  that  which 
lies  before  us,  to  pass  over  a  single  point  would  be  to 
offer  dishonor  to  the  divine  Author,  and  to  deprive 


118  LEVITICUS. 

our  own  souls  of  much  profit.  We  should  hang 
over  the  most  minute  details,  either  to  adore  God's 
wisdom  in  them,  or  to  confess  our  own  ignorance 
of  them.  To  pass  them  by,  in  a  spirit  of  indiffer- 
ence, is  to  imply  that  the  Holy  Ghost  lias  taken  the 
trouble  to  write  what  we  do  not  deem  worthy  of  the 
desire  to  understand.  This  is  what  no  right-minded 
Christian  would  presume  to  think.  If  the  Spirit,  in 
writing  upon  the  ordinance  of  the  sin-offering,  has 
omitted  the  various  rites  above  alluded  to  —  rites 
which  get  a  prominent  place  in  the  ordinance  of 
the  burnt-offering,  there  must  assuredly  be  some 
good  reason  for,  and  some  important  meaning  in, 
His  doing  so.  These  we  should  seek  to  apprehend, 
and  no  doubt  they  arise  out  of  the  special  design  of 
the  divine  mind  in  each  offering.  The  sin-offering 
sets  forth  that  aspect  of  Christ's  work  in  which  He 
is  seen  taking  judicially  the  place  which  belonged 
to  us  morally.  For  this  reason  we  could  not  look 
for  that  intense  expression  of  what  He  was  in  all 
His  secret  springs  of  action,  as  unfolded  in  the 
typical  act  of  "flaying."  Neither  could  there  be 
that  enlarged  exhibition  of  what  he  was,  not  merely 
as  a  whole,  but  in  the  most  minute  features  of  his 
character,  as  seen  in  the  act  of  "cutting  it  into  his 
pieces."  Nor  yet  could  there  be  that  manifestation 
of  what  He  was  personally,  practically,  and  intrin- 
sically, as  set  forth  in  the  significant  act  of  "wash- 
ing the  inwards  and  legs  in  water." 

All  these  things  belonged  to  the  burnt-offering 
phase  of  our  blessed  Lord,  and  to  that  alone,  be- 


CHAPTER   IV.-V.  13.  119 

cause  in  it  we  see  Him  offering  Himself  to  the  eye, 
to  the  heart,  and  to  the  altar  of  Jehovah,  without 
any  question  of  imputed  sin,  of  wrath,  or  of  judg- 
ment. In  the  sin-offering,  on  the  contrary,  instead 
of  having,  as  the  great  prominent  idea,  what  Christ 
is,  we  have  what  sin  is, — instead  of  the  preciousness 
of  Jesus,  we  have  the  odiousness  of  sin.  In  the 
burnt-offering,  inasmuch  as  it  is  Christ  Himself 
offered  to  and  accepted  by  God,  we  have  every 
thing  done  that  could  possibly  make  manifest  what 
He  wras  in  every  respect.  In  the  sin-offering,  be- 
cause it  is  sin  as  judged  by  God,  the  very  reverse 
is  the  case.  All  this  is  so  plain  as  to  need  no  effort 
of  the  mind  to  understand  it.  It  naturally  flows 
out  of  the  distinctive  character  of  the  type. 

However,  although  the  leading  object  in  the  sin- 
offering  is  to  shadow  forth  what  Christ  became  for 
us,  and  not  what  He  was  in  Himself,  there  is  never- 
theless one  rite  connected  with  this  type  which  most 
fully  expresses  His  personal  acceptableness  to  Jeho- 
vah. This  rite  is  laid  down  in  the  following  words : 
"And  he  shall  take  off  from  it  all  the  fat  of  the 
bullock  for  the  sin-offering;  the  fat  tb/it  covereth 
the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat  that  is  upon  the  inwards, 
and  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  upon  them, 
which  is  by  the  flanks,  and  the  caul  above  the  liver, 
with  the  kidneys,  it  shall  he  take  away,  as  it  was 
taken  off  from  the  bullock  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace- 
offering  ;  and  the  priest  shall  burn  them  upon  the 
altar  of  the  burnt-offering."  (Chap.  iv.  8-10.) 
Thus  the  intrinsic  excellency  of  Christ  is  not 


120  LEVITICUS. 

omitted  even  in  the  sin-offering.  The  fat  burnt 
upon  the  altar  is  the  apt  expression  of  the  divine 
appreciation  of  the  preciousness  of  Christ's  Person, 
no  matter  what  place  He  might,  in  perfect  grace, 
take  on  our  behalf  or  in  our  stead.  He  was  made 
sin  for  us,  and  the  sin-offering  is  the  divinely  ap- 
pointed shadow  of  Him  in  this  respect ;  but  inas- 
much as  it  was  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ — God's  Elect, 
His  Holy  One — His  pure,  His  spotless,  His  eternal 
Son  that  was  made  sin,  therefore  the  fat  of  the 
sin-offering  was  burnt  upon  the  altar,  as  a  proper 
material  for  that  fire  which  was  the  impressive 
exhibition  of  divine  holiness. 

But  even  in  this  very  point  we  see  what  a  contrast 
there  is  between  the  sin-offering  and  the  burnt- 
offering.  In  the  case  of  the  latter,  it  was  not 
merely  the  fat,  but  the  whole  sacrifice  that  was 
burnt  upon  the  altar,  because  it  was  Christ,  without 
any  question  of  sin-bearing  whatever.  In  the  case 
of  the  former,  there  was  nothing  but  the  fat  to  be 
burnt  upon  the  altar,  because  it  was  a  question  of 
sin-bearing,  though  Christ  was  the  Sin-bearer.  The 
divine  glories  of  Christ's  Person  shine  out  even 
from  amid  the  darkest  shades  of  that  cursed  tree 
to  which  He  consented  to  be  nailed  as  a  curse  for 
us.  The  hatefulness  of  that  with  which,  in  the 
exercise  of  divine  love,  He  connected  His  blessed 
Person  on  the  cross,  could  not  prevent  the  sweet 
odor  of  His  preciousness  from  ascending  to  the 
throne  of  God.  Thus  have  we  unfolded  to  us  the 
profound  mystery  of  God's  face  hidden  from  that 


CHAPTER    IV. -V.  13.  121 

which  Christ  became,  and  God's  heart  refreshed  by 
what  Christ  was.  This  imparts  a  peculiar  charm 
to  the  sin-offering.  The  bright  beams  of  Christ's 
Personal  glory  shining  out  from  amid  the  awful 
gloom  of  Calvary — His  Personal  worth  set  forth  in 
the  very  deepest  depths  of  His  humiliation — God's 
delight  in  the  One  from  whom  He  had,  in  vindica- 
tion of  His  inflexible  justice  and  holiness,  to  hide 
His  face — all  this  is  set  forth  in  the  fact  that  the  fat 
of  the  sin-offering  was  burnt  upon  the  altar. 

Having  thus  endeavored  to  point  out,  in  the  first 
place,  what  was  done  with  "the  blood,"  and,  in  the 
second  place,  what  was  done  with  "the  fat,"  we 
have  now  to  consider  what  was  done  with  "the 
flesh."  "And  the  skin  of  the  bullock,  and  all  his 
flesh,  ....  even  the  whole  bullock  shall  he  carry 
forth  without  the  camp  unto  a  clean  place,  where  the 
ashes  are  poured  out,  and  burn  him  on  the  wood 
with  fire :  where  the  ashes  are  poured  out  shall  he 
be  burnt."  (Ver.  11,  12.)  In  this  act,  we  have  the 
main  feature  of  the  sin-offering — that  which  distin- 
guished it  both  from  the  burnt-offering  and  the 
peace-offering.  Its  flesh  was  nof  burnt  upon  the 
altar  as  in  the  burnt-offering,  neither  was  it  eaten 
by  the  priest  or  the  worshiper  as  in  the  peace- 
offering;  it  was  wholly  burnt  without  the  camp.* 
"No  sin-offering,  whereof  any  of  the  blood  is 
brought  into  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  to 

*The  statement  in  the  text  refers  only  to  the  sin-offerings  of 
which  the  blood  was  brought  into  the  holy  place.  There  were  sin- 
offerings  of  which  Aaron  and  his  sons  partook.  (See  Lev.  vi.  26, 
29;  Numb,  xviii.  9, 10.) 


122  LEVITICUS. 

reconcile  withal  in  the  holy  place,  shall  be  eaten : 
it  shall  be  burnt  in  the  fire."  (Lev.  vi.  30.)  "For 
the  bodies  of  those  beasts,  whose  blood  is  brought 
into  the  sanctuary  by  the  high-priest  for  sin,  are 
burned  without  the  camp.  Wherefore  Jesus  also, 
that  He  might  sanctify  the  people  with  His  own 
blood,  suffered  without  the  gate."(Heb.xiii.  11, 12.) 
Now,  in  comparing  what  was  done  with  the 
"blood"  with  what  was  done  with  the  "flesh,"  or 
"body,"  of  the  sacrifice,  two  great  branches  of 
truth  present  themselves  to  our  view,  namely,  wor- 
ship and  discipleship.  The  blood  brought  into  the 
sanctuary  is  the  foundation  of  the  former  ;  the  body 
burnt  outside  the  camp  is  the  foundation  of  the 
latter.  Before  ever  we  can  worship  in  peace  of 
conscience  and  liberty  of  heart,  we  must  know,  on 
the  authority  of  the  Word,  and  by  the  power  of  the 
Spirit,  that  the  entire  question  of  sin  has  been  for- 
ever settled  by  the  blood  of  the  divine  Sin-offering — 
that  His  blood  has  been  sprinkled  perfectly  before 
the  Lord — that  all  God's  claims,  and  all  our  neces- 
sities as  ruined  and  guilty  sinners,  have  been  forever 
answered.  This  gives  perfect  peace ;  and,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  this  peace,  we  worship  God.  When 
an  Israelite  of  old  had  offered  his  sin-offering,  his 
conscience  was  set  at  rest,  in  so  far  as  the  offering 
was  capable  of  imparting  rest.  True,  it  was  but  a 
temporary  rest,  being  the  fruit  of  a  temporary  sac- 
rifice ;  but,  clearly,  whatever  kind  of  rest  the  offering 
was  fitted  to  impart,  that  the  offerer  might  enjoy. 
Hence,  therefore,  our  Sacrifice  being  divine  and 


CHAPTER   IV.-V.  13.  123 

eternal,  our  rest  is  divine  and  eternal  also.  As 
is  the  sacrifice,  such  is  the  rest  which  is  founded 
thereon.  A  Jew  never  had  an  eternally  purged 
conscience,  simply  because  he  had  not  an  eternally 
efficacious  sacrifice.  He  might,  in  a  certain  way, 
have  his  conscience  purged  for  a  day,  a  month,  or 
a  3'ear ;  but  he  could  not  have  it  purged  forever. 
"But  Christ  being  come  a  High-Priest  of  good 
things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and  more  perfect 
tabernacle,  not  made  with  hands,  that  is  to  say, 
not  of  this  building ;  neither  by  the  blood  of  goats 
and  calves,  but  by  His  own  blood  Pie  entered  in 
once  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained  eternal 
redemption.  For  if  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats, 
and  the  ashes  of  a  heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean, 
sanctifieth  to  the  purifying  of  the  flesh ;  how  much 
more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through  the 
eternal  Spirit  offered  Himself  without  spot  to  God, 
purge  your  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve 
the  living  God  ?"  (Heb.  ix.  11-14.) 

Here,  we  have  the  full,  explicit  statement  of  the 
doctrine.  The  blood  of  goats  and  calves  procured 
a  temporary  redemption  :  the  blood  of  Christ  pro- 
cures eternal  redemption.  The  former  purified 
outwardly ;  the  latter,  inwardly.  That  purged  the 
flesh  for  a  time  ;  this,  the  conscience  forever.  The 
whole  question  hinges,  not  upon  the  character  or 
condition  of  the  offerer,  but  upon  the  value  of  the 
offering.  The  question  is  not,  by  any  means, 
whether  a  Christian  is  a  better  man  than  a  Jew, 
but  whether  the  blood  of  Christ  is  better  than  the 


124  LEVITICUS. 

blood  of  a  bullock.  Assuredly,  it  is  better.  How 
much  better  ?  Infinitely  better.  The  Son  of  God 
imparts  all  the  dignity  of  His  own  divine  Person  to 
the  sacrifice  which  He  offered ;  and  if  the  blood  of 
a  bullock  purified  the  flesh  for  a  year,  "  how  much 
more"  shall  the  blood  of  the  Son* of  God  purge  the 
conscience  forever? — if  that  took  away  some  sin, 
how  much  more  shall  this  take  away  "aZ/"? 

Now,  why  was  the  mind  of  a  Jew  set  at  rest,  for 
the  time  being,  when  he  had  offered  his  sin-offering? 
How  did  he  know  that  the  special  sin  for  which  lie 
had  brought  his  sacrifice  was  forgiven  ?  Because 
God  had  said, "It  shall  be  forgiven  him."  His  peace 
of  heart,  in  reference  to  that  particular  sin,  rested 
upon  the  testimony  of  the  God  of  Israel  and  the 
blood  of  the  victim.  So  now,  the  peace  of  the 
believer,  in  reference  to  "ALL  SIN, "rests  upon  the 
authority  of  God's  word  and  "the  precious  blood  of 
Christ."  If  a  Jew  had  sinned,  and  neglected  to 
bring  his  sin-offering,  he  should  have  been  "cut  off 
from  among  his  people;"  but  when  he  took  his 
place  as  a  sinner— when  he  laid  his  hand  upon  the 
head  of  a  sin-offering,  then  the  offering  was  "cut 
off  "instead  of  him,  and  he  was  free,  so  far.  The 
offering  was  treated  as  the  offerer  deserved ;  and 
hence,  for  him  not  to  know  that  his  sin  was  forgiven 
him,  would  have  been  to  make  God  a  liar,  and  to 
treat  the  blood  of  the  divinely  appointed  sin-offering 
as  nothing. 

And  if  this  were  true  in  reference  to  one  who  had 
only  the  blood  of  a  goat  to  rest  upon,  "how  much 


CHAPTER    IV. -V.  13.  125 

more ' '  powerfully  does  it  apply  to  one  who  has  the 
precious  blood  of  Christ  to  rest  upon  ?  The  believer 
sees  in  Christ  One  who  has  been  judged  for  all  his 
sin — One  who,  when  He  hung  upon  the  cross,  sus- 
tained the  entire  burden  of  his  sin — One  who,  having 
made  Himself  responsible  for  that  sin,  could  not  be 
where  He  now  is  if  the  whole  question  of  sin  had 
not  been  settled  according  to  all  the  claims  of  Infi- 
nite Justice.  So  absolutely  did  Christ  take  the 
believer's  place  on  the  cross — so  entirely  was  he 
identified  with  Him — so  completely  was  all  the  be- 
liever's sin  imputed  to  Him,  there  and  then,  that 
all  question  of  the  believer's  liability — all  thought 
of  his  guilt — all  idea  of  his  exposure  to  judgment 
and  wrath,  is  eternally  set  aside.*  It  was  all  settled 
on  the  cursed  tree,  between  Divine  Justice  and  the 
spotless  Victim.  And  now  the  believer  is  as  abso- 
lutely identified  with  Christ  on  the  throne,  as  Christ 
wras  identified  with  him  on  the  cross.  Justice  has  no 
charge  to  bring  against  the  believer,  because  it  has 
no  charge  to  bring  against  Christ.  Thus  it  stands 
forever.  If  a  charge  could  be  preferred  against  the 
believer,  it  would  be  calling  in  question  the  reality 
of  Christ's  identification  with  him  on  the  cross,  and 
the  perfectness  of  Christ's  work  on  his  behalf.  If, 
when  the  worshiper  of  old  was  on  his  way  back, 


*We  have  a  singularly  beautiful  example  of  the  divine  accuracy  of 
Scripture  in  2  Cor.  v.  21.— "He  hath  made  Him  to  be  sin  [d/J.apriav 
£.itoiri6?.v~\  for  us,  that  AVC  might  become  [yn/Gd/iieQci]  the  right- 
eousness of  God  in  Him."  The  English  reader  might  suppose  that 
the  word  which  is  rendered  "  made"  is  the  same  in  each  clause  of 
the  passage.  This  is  not  the  case. 


126  LEVITICUS. 

after  having  offered  his  sin-offering,  any  one  had 
charged  him  with  that  special  sin  for  which  his  sac- 
rifice had  bled,  what  would  have  been  his  reply  ? 
Just  this:  The  sin  has  been  rolled  away  by  the 
blood  of  the  victim,  and  Jehovah  has  pronounced 
the  words,  "It  shall  be  forgiven  him."  The  victim 
had  died  instead  of  him,  and  he  lived  instead  of  the 
victim. 

Such  was  the  type.  And  as  to  the  Antitype,  when 
the  eye  of  faith  rests  on  Christ  as  the  Sin-offering,  it 
beholds  Him  as  One  who  having  assumed  a  perfect 
human  life,  gave  up  that  life  on  the  cross,  because 
sin  was  there  and  then  attached  to  it  by  imputation. 
But  it  beholds  Him  also  as  One  who  having  in  Him- 
self the  power  of  divine  and  eternal  life,  rose  from 
the  tomb  therein,  and  who  now  imparts  this  His 
risen,  His  divine,  His  eternal  life  to  all  who  believe1 
in  His  name.  The  sin  is  gone,  because  the  life  to 
which  it  was  attached  is  gone.  And  now,  instead  of 
the  life  to  which  sin  was  attached,  all  true  believers 
possess  the  life  to  which  righteousness  attaches. 
The  question  of  sin  can  never  once  be  raised,  in 
reference  to  the  risen  and  victorious  life  of  Christ ; 
but  this  is  the  life  which  believers  possess.  There 
is  no  other  life.  All  beside  is  death,  because  all 
beside  is  under  the  power  of  sin.  "He  that  hath 
the  Son  hath  life,"  and  he  that  hath  life  hath  right- 
eousness also.  The  two  things  are  inseparable,  be- 
cause Christ  is  both  the  one  and  the  other.  If 
the  judgment  and  death  of  Christ  upon  the  cross 
were  realities,  then  the  life  and  righteousness  of  the 


CHAPTER    IV. -V.  13.  127 

believer  are  realities ;  if  imputed  sin  was  a  reality 
to  Christ,  imputed  righteousness  is  a  reality  to  the 
believer.  The  one  is  as  real  as  the  other;  for  if 
not,  Christ  would  have  died  in  vain.  The  true  and 
irrefragable  ground  of  peace  is  this, — that  the  claims 
of  God's  nature  have  been  perfectly  met  as  to  sin. 
The  death  of  Jesus  has  satisfied  them  all — satisfied 
them  forever.  What  is  it  that  proves  this  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  awakened  conscience  ?  The  great 
fact  of  resurrection.  A  risen  Christ  declares  the  full 
deliverance  of  the  believer — his  perfect  discharge 
from  every  possible  demand. — "He  was  delivered 
for  our  offenses,  and  raised  again  for  our  justifica- 
tion." (Rom.  iv.  25.)  For  a  Christian  not  to  know 
that  his  sin  is  gone,  and  gone  forever,  is  to  cast  a 
slight  upon  the  blood  of  his  divine  Sin-offering ;  it 
is  to  deny  that  there  has  been  the  perfect  presenta- 
tion— the  sevenfold  sprinkling  of  the  blood  before 
the  Lord. 

And  now,  ere  turning  from  this  fundamental  point 
which  has  been  occupying  us,  I  would  desire  to  make 
an  earnest  and  a  most  solemn  appeal  to  my  reader's 
heart  and  conscience.  Let  me  ask  3*011,  dear  friend, 
have  you  been  led  to  repose  on  this  holy  and  happy 
foundation  ?  Do  3*011  know  that  the  question  of  3*0111' 
sin  has  been  forever  disposed  of?  Have  3*ou  laid 
your  hand,  1>3'  faith,  on  the  head  of  the  Sin-offering? 
Have  you  seen  the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus  rolling 
away  all  your  guilt,  and  carrying  it  into  the  mighty 
waters  of  God's  forgetfulness  ?  Has  Divine  Justice 
any  thing  against  you  ?  Are  you  free  from  the  un- 
10 


128  LEVITICUS. 

utterable  horrors  of  a,  guilty  conscience  ?  Do  not, 
I  pray  you,  rest  satisfied  until  you  can  give  a  jo}Tous 
answer  to  these  inquiries.  Be  assured  of  it,  it  is 
the  happy  privilege  of  the  feeblest  babe  in  Christ  to 
rejoice  in  a  full  and  everlasting  remission  of  sins, 
on  the  ground  of  a  finished  atonement ;  and  hence, 
for  any  to  teach  otherwise,  is  to  lower  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ  to  the  level  of  "goats  and  calves."  If  we 
cannot  know  that  our  sins  are  forgiven,  then  where 
are  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel?  Is  a  Christian 
in  no  wise  better  off,  in  the  matter  of  a  sin-offering, 
than  a  Jew?  The  latter  was  privileged  to  know  that 
his  matters  were  set  straight  for  a  }Tear,  by  the  blood 
of  an  annual  sacrifice.  Can  the  former  not  have 
any  certainty  at  all  ?  Unquestionably.  Well,  then, 
if  there  is  any  certainty,  it  must  be  eternal,  inas- 
much as  it  rests  on  an  eternal  sacrifice. 

This,  and  this  alone,  is  the  basis  of  worship.  The 
full  assurance  of  sin  put  away  ministers,  not  to  a 
spirit  of  self-confidence,  but  to  a  spirit  of  praise, 
thankfulness,  and  worship.  It  produces,  not  a  spirit 
of  self-complacency,  but  of  Christ-complacency, 
which,  blessed  be  God,  is  the  spirit  which  shall 
characterize  the  redeemed  throughout  eternity.  It 
does  not  lead  one  to  think  little  of  sin,  but  to  think 
much  of  the  grace  which  has  perfectly  pardoned  it, 
and  of  the  blood  which  has  perfectly  canceled  it. 
It  is  impossible  that  any  one  can  gaze  on  the  cross 
— can  see  the  place  which  Christ  took — can  meditate 
upon  the  sufferings  which  He  endured — can  ponder 
on  those  three  terrible  hours  of  darkness,  and  at  the 


CHAPTER    IV. -V.   13.  129 

same  time  think  lightly  of  sin.  When  all  these 
things  are  entered  into,  in  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  there  are  two  results  which  must  follow, 
namely,  an  abhorrence  of  sin  in  all  its  forms,  and  a 
genuine  love  to  Christ,  His  people,  and  His  cause. 

Let  us  now  consider  what  was  done  with  the 
4 'flesh,"  or  "body,"  of  the  sacrifice,  in  which,  as 
has  been  stated,  we  have  the  true  ground  of  disci- 
pleship.  "The  whole  bullock  shall  he  carry  forth, 
without  the  camp,  unto  a  clean  place,  where  the 
ashes  are  poured  out,  and  burn  him  on  the  wood 
with  fire."  (Chap.  iv.  12.)  This  act  is  to  be  viewed 
in  a  double  way  ;  first,  as  expressing  the  place  which 
the  Lord  Jesus  took  for  us  as  bearing  sin  ;  secondly, 
as  expressing  the  place  into  which  He  was  cast  by  a 
world  which  had  rejected  Him.  It  is  to  this  latter 
point  that  I  would  here  call  my  reader's  attention. 

The  use  which  the  apostle,  in  Heb.  xiii,  makes 
of  Christ's  having  "suffered  without  the  gate,"  is 
deeply  practical. — "Let  us  go  forth  therefore  unto 
Him  without  the  camp,  bearing  His  reproach.1"  If 
the  sufferings  of  Christ  have  secured  us  an  entrance 
into  heaven,  the  place  where  He  suffered  expresses 
our  rejection  from  earth.  His  death  has  procured 
us  a  city  on  high ;  the  place  where  He  died  divests 
us  of  a  city  below.*  "He  suffered  without  the 

*  The  epistle  to  the  Ephesians  furnishes  the  most  elevated  view  of 
the  Church's  place  above,  and  gives  it  to  us,  not  merely  as  to  the 
title,  but  also  as  to  the  mode.  The  title  is  assuredly  the  blood  ;  but 
the  mode  is  thus  stated:  "But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  His 
great ipve  wherewith  He  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in 
sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ,  (by  grace  ye  are 
saved;)  and  hath  raised  us  up  together,  and  made  us  sit  together 
in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus."  (Eph.  ii.  4-6.) 


130  LEVITICUS. 

gate."  and,  in  so  doing,  He  set  aside  Jerusalem  as 
the  present  centre  of  divine  operation.  There  is  no 
such  thing  now  as  a  consecrated  spot  on  the  earth. 
Christ  has  taken  His  place,  as  a  suffering  One,  out- 
side the  range  of  this  world's  religion,  its  politics, 
and  all  that  pertains  to  it.  The  world  hated  Him 
and  cast  Him  out.  Wherefore,  the  word  is,  "  Go 
forth."  This  is  the  motto  as  regards  every  thing 
that  men  would  set  up  here  in  the  form  of  a  "camp," 
no  matter  what  that  camp  may  be.  If  men  set  up 
"a  holy  cit3T,"you  must  look  for  a  rejected  Christ 
"without  the  gate."  If  men  set  up  a  religious  camp,  . 
call  it  by  what  name  you  please,  }TOU  must  "go 
forth  "out  of  it,  in  order  to  find  a  rejected  Christ. 
It  is  not  that  blind  superstition  will  not  grope  amid 
the  ruins  of  Jerusalem  in  search  of  relics  of  Christ. 
It-  assuredly  will  do  so,  and  has  done  so.  It  will 
affect  to  find  out  and  do  honor  to  the  site  of  His 
cross  and  to  His  sepulchre.  Nature's  covetousness, 
too,  taking  advantage  of  nature's  superstition,  has 
carried  on  for  ages  a  lucrative  traffic,  under  the 
crafty  plea  of  doing  honor  to  the  so-called  sacred 
localities  of  antiquity.  But  a  single  ray  of  light  from 
Revelation's  heavenly  lamp  is  sufficient  to  enable  us 
to  say  that  you  must  "go  forth"  of  all  these  things, 
in  order  to  find  and  enjoy  communion  with  a  re- 
jected Christ. 

However,  my  reader  will  need  to  remember  that 
there  is  far  more  involved  in  the  soul-stirring  call  to 
4 '  go  forth ' '  than  a  mere  escape  from  the  gro?s  ab- 
surdities of  an  ignorant  superstition,  or  the  designs 


CHAPTER    IV.- 


of  a  crafty  covetousness.  Th 
powerfully  and  eloquently 
who  are  very  far  indeed  from 
spending  to  the  apostolic  summons.  "When  men  set 
up  a  "camp,"  and  rally  round  a  standard  on  which 
is  emblazoned  some  important  dogma  of  truth,  or 
some  valuable  institution  —  when  they  can  appeal  to 
an  orthodox  creed  —  an  advanced  and  enlightened 
scheme  of  doctrine  —  a  splendid  ritual,  capable  of 
satisfying  the  most  ardent  aspirations  of  man's  de- 
votional nature  —  when  any  or  all  of  these  things 
exist,  it  demands  much  spiritual  intelligence  to 
discern  the  real  force  and  proper  application  of  the 
words,  "Let  us  go  forth,"  and  much  spiritual  energy 
and  decision  to  act  upon  them.  They  should,  how- 
ever, be  discerned  and  acted  upon,  for  it  is  perfectly 
certain  that  the  atmosphere  of  a  camp,  let  its  ground 
or  standard  be  what  it  may,  is  destructive  of  per- 
sonal communion  with  a  rejected  Christ;  and  no 
so-called  religious  advantage  can  ever  make  up  for 
the  loss  of  that  communion.  It  is  the  tendency  of 
our  hearts  to  drop  into  cold  stereotyped  forms. 
This  has  ever  been  the  case  in  the  professing  church. 
These  forms  may  have  originated  in  real  power; 
they  may  have  resulted  from  positive  visitations  of 
the  Spirit  of  God.  The  temptation  is  to  stereot}-pe 
the  form  when  the  spirit  and  power  have  all  de- 
parted. This  is,  in  principle,  to  set  up  a  camp. 
The  Jewish  system  could  boast  a  divine  origin.  A 
Jew  could  triumphantly  point  to  the  temple,  with 
its  splendid  system  of  worship,  its  priesthood,  its 


lOZ  LEVITICUS. 

sacrifices,  its  entire  furniture,  and  show  that  it  had 
all  been  handed  down  from  the  God  of  Israel.  He 
could  give  chapter  and  verse,  as  we  sa}r,  for  every 
thing  connected  with  the  system  to  which  he  was 
attached.  Where  is  the  system,  ancient,  medieval, 
or  modern,  that  could  put  forth  such  lofty  and  pow- 
erful pretensions,  or  come  down  upon  the  heart  with 
such  an  overwhelming  weight  of  authority?  And 
yet,  the  command  was  to  "GO  FORTH." 

This  is  a  deeply  solemn  matter.  It  concerns  us 
all,  because  wre  are  all  prone  to  slip  away  from 
communion  with  a  living  Christ  and  sink  into  dead 
routine.  Hence  the  practical  power  of  the  words, 
"Go  forth  therefore  unto  Him."  It  is  not,  'Go 
forth  from  one  sj'stem  to  another — from  one  set  of 
opinions  to  another — from  one  company  of  people 
to  another.  No;  but,  Go  forth  from  every  thing 
that  merits  the  appellation  of  a  camp,  "to  Him" 
who  "suffered  without  the  gate."  The  Lord  Jesus 
is  as  thoroughly  outside  the  gate  now  as  He  was 
when  He  suffered  there  eighteen  centuries  ago. 
What  was  it  that  put  Him  outside  ?  "The  religious 
world"  of  that  da}^ ;  and  the  religious  world  of  that 
day  is,  in  spirit  and  principle,  the  religious  world 
of  the  present  moment.  The  world  is  the  world 
still.  "There  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun." 
Christ  and  the  world  are  not  one.  The  world  has 
covered  itself  with  the  cloak  of  Christianity ;  but  it 
is  only  in  order  that  its  hatred  to  Christ  may  work 
itself  up  into  more  deadly  forms  underneath.  Let 
us  not  deceive  ourselves.  If  we  will  walk  with  a 


CHAPTER    IV.-V.  13.  133 

rejected  Christ,  we  must  be  a  rejected  people.     If 
our  Master  " suffered  without  the  gate,"  we  cannot 
expect  to  reign  within  the  gate.     If  we  walk  in  His 
footsteps,  whither  will  they  lead  us  ?     Surety,  not 
to  the  high  places  of  this  Godless,  «Christless  world. 
"His  path,  uncheered  by  earthly  smiles, 
Led  only  to  the  cross." 

He  is  a  despised  Christ — a  rejected  Christ — a 
Christ  outside  the  camp.  Oh,  then,  clear  Christian 
reader,  let  us  go  forth  to  Him,  bearing  His  reproach. 
Let  us  not  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  this  world's  favor, 
seeing  it  crucified,  and  still  hates  with  an  unmiti- 
gated hatred,  the  beloved  One  to  whom  we  owe  our 
present  and  eternal  all,  and  who  loves  us  with  a  love 
which  many  waters  cannot  quench.  Let  us  not, 
directly  or  indirectly,  accredit  that  thing  which 
calls  itself  by  His  sacred  name,  but,  in  reality, 
hates  His  Person,  hates  His  ways,  hates  His  truth, 
hates  the  bare  mention  of  His  advent.  Let  us  be 
faithful  to  an  absent  Lord.  Let  us  live  for  Him 
who -died  for  us.  While  our  consciences  repose  in 
His  blood,  let  our  heart's  affections  entwine  them- 
selves around  His  Person ;  so  that  our  separation 
from  "this  present  evil  world"  may  not  be  merely 
a  matter  of  cold  principle,  but  an  affectionate  sepa- 
ration, because  the  object  of  our  affections  is  not 
here.  May  the  Lord  deliver  us  from  the  influence 
of  that  consecrated,  prudential  selfishness  so  com- 
mon at  the  present  time,  which  would  not  be  without 
religiousness,  but  is  the  enemy  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 
What  we  want,  in  order  to  make  a  successful  stand 


134  LEVITICUS. 

against  this  terrible  form  of  evil,  is  not  peculiar 
views,  or  special  principles,  or  curious  theories,  or 
cold  intellectual  accuracy :  we  want  a  deep-toned 
devotedness  to  the  Person  of  the  Son  of  God,  a 
•whole -hearted  consecration  of  ourselves — body, 
soul,  and  spirit — to  His  service,  an  earnest  longing 
for  His  glorious  advent.  These,  my  reader,  are 
the  special  wants  of  the  times  in  which  you  and  I 
live.  Will  3rou  not,  then,  join  in  uttering,  from  the 
very  depths  of  your  heart,  the  cry,  "O  Lord,  revive 
Thy  work!" — "Accomplish  the  number  of  Thine 
elect!"— "Hasten  Thy  kingdom!  "—"Come,  Lord 
Jesus,  come!" 

CHAPTER  V.  14— VI.  7. 

THESE  verses  contain  the  doctrine  of  the  trespass- 
offering,  of  which  there  were  two  distinct  kinds, 
namely,  trespass  against  God,  and  trespass  against 
man.  "  If  a  soul  commit  a  trespass,  and  sin  through 
ignorance,  in  the  holy  things  of  the  Lord,  then  shall 
he  bring  for  his  trespass  unto  the  Lord  a  ram  with- 
out blemish  out  of  the  flocks,  with  thy  estimation 
by  shekels  of  silver,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, for  a  trespass-offering."  Here  we  have  a 
case  in  which  a  positive  wrong  was  done,  in  the 
holy  things  which  pertained  unto  the  Lord ;  and, 
albeit  this  was  done  "through  ignorance,"  yet  could 
it  not  be  passed  over.  God  can  forgive  all  manner 
of  trespass,  but  He  cannot  pass  over  a  single  jot  or 
tittle.  His  grace  is  perfect,  and  therefore  He  can 


CHAPTER   V.  14-VI.  7.  135 

forgive  all:  His  holiness  is  perfect,  and  therefore 
He  cannot  pass  over  any  thing.  He  cannot  sanction 
iniquity,  but  He  can  blot  it  out ;  and  that,  more- 
over, according  to  the  perfection  of  His  grace,  and 
according  to  the  perfect  claims  of  His  holiness. 

It  is  a  very  grave  error  to  suppose  that,  provided 
a  man  acts  up  to  the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  he 
is  all  right  and  safe.  The  peace  which  rests  upon 
such  a  foundation  as  this  will  be  eternally  destro}'ed 
when  the  light  of  the  judgment-seat  shines  in  upon 
the  conscience.  God  could  never  lower  His  claim 
to  such  a  level.  The  balances  of  the  sanctuary 
are  regulatecl  by  a  very  different  scale  from  that 
afforded  by  the  most  sensitive  conscience.  We 
have  had  occasion  to  dwell  upon  this  point  before, 
in  the  notes  on  the  sin-offering.  It  cannot  be  too 
strongly  insisted  upon.  There  are  two  things  in- 
volved in  it, — first,  a  just  perception  of  what  the 
holiness  of  God  really  is ;  and  secondly,  a  clear 
sense  of  the  ground  of  a  believer's  peace  in  the 
divine  presence. 

Whether  it  be  a  question  of  my  condition  or  my 
conduct — my  nature  or  my  acts — God  alone  can  be 
the  Judge  of  what  suits  Himself,  and  of  what  befits 
His  holy  presence.  Can  human  ignorance  furnish 
a  plea  when  divine  requirements  are  in  question  ? 
God  forbid.  A  wrong  has  been  done  "in  the  holy 
things  of  the  Lord,"  but  man's  conscience  has  not 
taken  cognizance  of  it.  What  then  ?  Is  there  to 
be  nothing  more  about  it  ?  Are  the  claims  of  God 
to  be  thus  lightly  disposed  of  ?  Assuredly  not. 


136  LEVITICUS. 

This  would  be  subversive  of  every  thing  like  divine 
relationship.  The  righteous  arc  called  to  give  thanks 
at  the  remembrance  of  God's  holiness.  (Ps.  xcvii. 
12.)  How  can  they  do  this  ?  Because  their  peace 
has  been  secured  on  the  ground  of  the  full  vindi- 
cation and  perfect  establishment  of  that  holiness. 
Hence,  the  higher  their  sense  of  what  that  holiness 
is,  the  deeper  and  more  settled  must  be  their  peace. 
This  is  a  truth  of  the  most  precious  nature.  The 
unregenerate  man  could  never  rejoice  in  the  divine 
holiness.  His  aim  would  be  to  lower  that  holiness,, 
if  he  could  not  ignore  it  altogether.  Such  an  one' 
will  console  himself  with  the  thought  that  God  is 
good,  God  is  gracious,  God  is  merciful ;  but  }TOU 
will  never  find  him  rejoicing  in  the  thought  that 
God  is  holy.  He  has  unholy  thoughts  respecting 
God's  goodness,  His  grace,  and  His  merc}\  He 
would  fain  find  in  those  blessed  attributes  an  ex- 
cuse for  his  continuing  in  sin. 

On  the  contrary,  the  renewed  man  exults  in  the 
holiness  of  God.  He  sees  the  full  expression  there- 
of in  the  cross  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  that 
holiness  which  has  laid  the  foundation  of  his  peace ; 
and  not  only  so,  but  lie  is  made  a  partaker  of  it, 
and  he  delights  in  it,  while  he  hates  sin  with  a  per- 
fect hatred.  The  instincts  of  the  divine  nature 
shrink  from  it,  and  long  after  holiness.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  enjoy  true  peace  and  liberty  of 
heart  if  one  did  not  know  that  all  the  claims  con- 
nected with  "the  holy  .things  of  the  Lord"  had 
been  perfectly  met  by  our  divine  Trespass-offering. 


CHAPTER    V.   14-VI.  7.  137 

There  would  ever  be  springing  up  in  the  heart  the 
painful  sense  that  those  claims  had  been  slighted, 
through  our  manifold  infirmities  and  shortcomings. 
Our  very  best  services,  our  holiest  seasons,  our 
most  hallowed  exercises,  may  present  something 
of  trespass  "in  the  holy  things  of  the  Lord" — 
"something  that  ought  not  to  be  done."  How 
often  are  our  seasons  of  public  worship  and  private 
devotion  infringed  upon  and  marred  by  barrenness 
and  distraction  !  Hence  it  is  that  we  need  the 
assurance  that  our  trespasses  have  all  been  divinely 
met  by  the  precious  blood  of  Christ.  Thus,  in  the 
ever-blessed  Lord  Jesus,  we  find  One  who  has  come 
down  to  the  full  measure  of  our  necessities  as  sin- 
ners by  nature,  and  trespassers  in  act.  We  find  in 
Him  the  perfect  answer  to  all  the  cravings  of  a 
guilty  conscience,  and  to  all  the  claims  of  Infinite 
Holiness,  in  reference  to  all  our  sins  and  all  our 
trespasses ;  so  that  the  believer  can  stand,  with  an 
uncondemning  conscience  and  emancipated  heart, 
in  the  full  light  of  that  holiness  which  is  too  pure  to 
behold  iniquity  or'look  upon  sin. 

"And  he  shall  make  amends  for  the  harm  that  he 
hath  done  in  the  holy  thing,  and  shall  add  the  fifth 
part  thereto,  and  give  it  unto  the  priest ;  and  the 
priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  him  with  the 
ram  of  the  trespass-offering,  and  it  shall  be  forgiven 
him."  (Chap.  v.  16.)  In  the  addition  of  "the  fifth 
part,"  as  here  set  forth,  we  have  a  feature  of  the 
true  Trespass-offering  which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  is 
but  little  appreciated.  When  we  think  of  all  the 


138  LEVITICUS. 

v.. 

wrong  and  all  the  trespass  which  we  have  done 
against  the  Lord,  and,  further,  when  we  remember 
how  God  has  been  wronged  of  His  rights  in  this 
wicked  world,  with  what  interest  can  we  contemplate 
the  work  of  the  cross  as  that  wherein  God  has  not 
merely  received  back  what  was  lost,  but  whereby 
He  is  an  actual  gainer.  He  has  gained  more  by 
redemption  than  ever  He  lost  by  the  fall.  He  reaps 
a  richer  harvest  of  glory,  honor,  and  praise  in  the 
fields  of  redemption  than  ever  He  could  have  reaped 
from  those  of  creation.  "The  sons  of  God"  could 
raise  a  loftier  song  of  praise  around  the  empty  tomb 
of  Jesus  than  ever  they  raised  in  view  of  the  Crea- 
tor's accomplished  work.  The  wrong  has  not  only 
been  perfectly  atoned  for,  but  an  eternal  advantage 
has  been  gained  by  the  work  of  the  cross.  This  is 
a  stupendous  truth.  God  is  a  gainer  by  the  work 
of  Calvary.  Who  could  have  conceived  this  ?  When 
we  behold  man,  and  the  creation  of  which  he  was 
lord,  laid  in  ruins  at  the  feet  of  the  enemy,  how 
could  we  conceive  that,  from  amid  those  ruins, 
God  should  gather  richer  and  nobler  spoils  than 
any  which  our  unfallen  world  could  have  yielded  ? 
Blessed  be  the  name  of  Jesus  for  all  this  !  It  is  to 
Him  we  owe  it  all.  It  is  \>y  His  precious  cross  that 
ever  a  truth  so  amazing,  so  divine,  could  be  enun- 
ciated. Assuredly,  that  cross  involves  a  mysterious 
wisdom  "which  none  of  the  princes  of  this  world 
knew ;  for  had  they  known  it,  they  would  not  have 
crucified  the  Lord  of  glory."  (1  Cor.  ii.  8.)  No 
marvel,  therefore,  that  around  that  cross,  and  around 


CHAPTER    V.  14- VI.  7.  139 

Him  who  was  crucified  thereon,  the  affections  of 
patriarchs,  prophets,  apostles,  martyrs,  and  saints 
have  ever  entwined  themselves.  No  marvel  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  should  have  given  forth  that  solemn, 
but  just,  decree,  "If  any  man  love  rfot  the  Lord; 
Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  Anathema  Maran-atha." 
(1  Cor.  xvi.  22. )  Heaven  and  earth  shall  echo  forth 
a  loud  and  an  eternal  amen  to  this  anathema.  No 
marvel  that  it  should  be  the  fixed  and  immutable 
purpose  of  the  divine  mind,  that  uat  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven, 
and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth ; 
and  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father." 
(Phil.  ii.  10,  11.) 

The  same  law  in  reference  to  "the  fifth  part" 
obtained  in  the  case  of  a  trespass  committed  against 
a  man,  as  we  read,  "If  a  soul  sin,  and  commit  a 
trespass  against  the  Lord,*  and  lie  unto  his  neighbor 
in  that  which  was  delivered  him  to  keep,  or  in  fel- 
lowship, or  in  a  thing  taken  away  by  violence,  or 
hath  deceived  his  neighbor ;  or  have  found  that 
which  was  lost,  and  lieth  concerning  it,  and  swear- 
eth  falsely ;  in  any  of  all  these  that  a  man  doeth, 

*  There  is  a  fine  principle  involved  in  the  expression,  "against 
the  Lord."  Although  the  matter  in  question  was  a  wrong  done  to 
one's  neighbor,  yet  the  Lord  looked  upon  it  as  a  trespass  against 
Himself.  Every  thing  must  be  viewed  in  reference  to  the  Lord.  It 
matters  not  who  may  be  affected,  Jehovah  must  get  the  first  place. 
Thus,  when  David's  conscience  was  pierced  by  the  airow  of  con- 
viction, in  reference  to  his  treatment  of  Uriah,  he  exclaims,"!  have 
sinned  against  the  Lord."  (2  Sam.  xii.  13.)  This  principle  does  not 
in  the  least  interfere  with  the  injured  man's  claim. 


1 40  LEVITICUS. 

sinning  therein :  then  it  shall  be,  because  he  hath 
sinned,  and  is  guilty,  that  he  shall  restore  that  which 
he  took  violently  awa}r,  or  the  thing  which  he  hath 
deceitfully  gotten,  or  that  which  was  delivered  him 
to  keep,  or  the  lost  thing  which  he  found,  or  all  that 
about  which  he  hath  sworn  falsel}7 ;  he  shall  even 
restore  it  in  the  principal,  -and  shall  add  the  fifth 
part  more  thereto,  and  give  it  unto  him  to  whom  it 
appertained,  in  the  day  of  his  trespass-offering." 
(Chap.  vi.  2-5.) 

Man,  as  well  as  God,  is  a  positive  gainer  by  the 
cross.  The  believer  can  say,  as  he  gazes  upon  that 
cross,  Well,  it  matters  not  how  I  have  been  wronged 
— how  I  have  been  trespassed  against — how  I  have 
been  deceived — what  ills  have  been  done  to  me,  I 
am  a  gainer  by  the  cross.  I  have  not  merely  re- 
ceived back  all  that  was  lost,  but  much  more  beside. 

Thus,  whether  we  think  of  the  injured  or  the 
injurer,  in  any  given  case,  we  are  equally  struck 
with  the  glorious  triumphs  of  redemption,  and  the 
mighty  practical  results  which  flow  from  that  gospel 
which  fills  the  soul  with  the  happy  assurance  that 
4 '  all  trespasses ' '  are  ' '  forgiven , ' '  and  that  the  root 
from  whence  those  trespasses  have  sprung  has  been 
judged.  "The  gospel  of  the  glor}^  of  the  blessed 
God"  is  that  which  alone  can  send  forth  a  man  into 
the  midst  of  a  scene  which  has  been  the  witness  of 
his  sins,  his  trespasses,  and  his  injurious  ways  — 
can  send  him  back  to  all  who  in  any  wise  have  been 
sufferers  by  his  evil  doings,  furnished  with  grace, 
not  only  to  repair  the  wrongs,  but  far  more,  to 


CHAPTER    V.  14-VI.  7.  141 

allow  the  full  tide  of  practical  benevolence  to  flow 
forth  in  all  his  ways — yea,  to  love  his  enemies,  to  do 
good  to  them  tlmt  hate  him,  and  to  pray  for  them 
that  despitefully  use  him  and  persecute  him.  Such 
is  the  precious  grace  of  God  that  acts  in  connection 
with  our  great  Trespass-offering !  such  are  its  rich, 
rare,  and  refreshing  fruits ! 

What  a  triumphant  answer  to  the  caviler  who 
could  say,  "Shall  we  continue  in  sin,  that  grace 
may  abound?"  Grace  not  merely  cuts  up  sin  by 
the  roots,  but  transforms  the  sinner  from  a  curse, 
into  a  blessing — from  a  moral  plague,  into  a  channel 
of  divine  mercy — from  an  emissary  of  Satan,  into  a 
messenger  of  God — from  a  child  of  darkness,  into 
a  son  of  the  light — from  a  self-indulgent  pleasure- 
hunter,  into  a  self-denying  lover  of  Gt>d — from  a 
slave  of  vile,  selfish  lusts,  into  a  willing-hearted 
servant  of  Christ — from  a  cold,  narrow -hearted 
miser,  into  a  benevolent  minister  to  the  need  of 
his  fellow-man.  Away,  then,  with  the  oft-repeated 
taunts,  "Are  Ave  to  do  nothing?" — "That  is  a 
marvelously  easy  way  to  be  saved." — "According 
to  this  gospel,  we  may  live  as  we  list."  Let  all 
who  utter  such  language  behold  yonder  thief  trans- 
formed into  a  liberal  donor,  and  let  them  be  silent 
forever.  (See  Eph.  iv.  28.)  They  know  not  what 
grace  means ;  they  have  never  felt  its  sanctif\Ting 
and  elevating  influences.  They  forget  that,  while 
the  blood  of  the  trespass-offering  cleanses  the  con- 
science, the  law  of  that  offering  sends  the  trespasser 
back  to  the  one  whom  he  has  wronged,  with  "the 


142  LEVITICUS. 

principal"  and  "the  fifth"  in  his  hand.  Noble 
testimony  this,  both  to  the  grace  and  righteousness 
of  the  God  of  Israel !  Beauteous  exhibition  of  the 
results  of  that  marvelous  scheme  of  redemption, 
whereby  the  injurer  is  forgiven,  and  the  injured 
becomes  an  actual  gainer!  If  the  conscience  has 
been  set  to  rights,  by  the  blood  of  the  cross,  in 
reference  to  the  claims  of  God,  the  conduct  must 
be  set  to  rights,  by  the  holiness  of  the  cross,  in 
reference  to  the  claims  of  practical  righteousness. 
These  things  must  never  be  separated ;  God  has 
joined  them  together,  and  let  not  man  put  them 
asunder.  The  hallowed  union  will  never  be  dis- 
solved by  any  mind  which  is  governed  by  pure 
gospel  morality.  Alas  !  it  is  easy  to  profess  the 
principles  of  grace,  while  the  practice  and  power 
thereof  are  completely  denied, — it  is  easy  to  talk  of 
resting  in  the  blood  of  the  Trespass-offering,  while 
"the  principal"  and  "the  fifth"  are  not  forthcom- 
ing. This  is  vain,  and  worse  than  vain.  "He  that 
doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  of  God."  (1  John 
iii.  10.) 

Nothing  can  be  more  dishonoring  to  the  pure 
grace  of  the  gospel  than  the  supposition  that  a  man 
may  belong  to  God  while  his  conduct  and  character 
exhibit  not  the  fair  traces  of  practical  holiness. 
"Known  unto  God  are  all  His  works,"  no  doubt; 
but  He  has  given  us,  in  His  holy  Word,  those  evi- 
dences by  which  we  can  discern  those  that  belong 
to  Him.  "The  foundation  of  God  standeth  sure, 
having  this  seal,  'The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are 


CHAPTER   V.  14-V1.  7.  143 

His.'  And,  'Let  every  one  that  nameth  the  name  of 
Christ  depart  from  iniquity.'"  (2  Tim.  ii.  19.)  We 
have  no  right  to  suppose  that  an  evil-doer  belongs 
to  God.  The  holy  instincts  of  the  divine  nature  are 
shocked  by  the  mention  of  such  a  thing.  People 
sometimes  express  much  difficulty  in  accounting  for 
such  and  such  evil  practices  on  the  part  of  those 
whom  they  cannot  help  regarding  in  the  light  of 
Christians.  The  Word  of  God  settles  the  matter  so 
clearly  and  so  authoritatively,  as  to  leave  no  pos- 
sible ground  for  any  such  difficulty. — "In  this  the 
children  of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  children  of 
the  devil:  whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is 
not  of  God,  neither  lie  that  loveth  not  his  brother." 
It  is  well  to  remember  this,  in  this  day  of  laxity 
and  self-indulgence.  There  is  a  fearful  amount  of 
easy,  uninfluential  profession  abroad,  against  which 
the  genuine  Christian  is  called  upon  to  make  a  firm 
stand,  and  bear  a  severe  testimony — a  testimony 
resulting  from  the  steady  exhibition  of  "the  fruits 
of  righteousness  which  are  by  Jesus  Christ  unto  the 
glory  and  praise  of  God."  It  is  most  deplorable 
to  see  so  many  going  along  the  beaten  path — the 
well-trodden  highway  of  religious  profession,  and 
3*et  manifesting  not  a  trace  of  love  or  holiness  in 
their  conduct.  Christian  reader,  let  us  be  faithful ; 
let  us  rebuke,  by  a  life  of  self-denial  and  genuine 
benevolence,  the  self-indulgence  and  culpable  in- 
activity of  evangelical,  }~et  worldly,  profession.  May 
God  grant  unto  all  His  true-hearted  people  abund- 
ant grace  for  these  things! 
11 


144  LEVITICUS 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  compare  the  two  classes  of 
trespass-offering  ;  namely,  the  offering  on  account  of 
trespass  "in  the  holy  things  of  the  Lord,"  and  that 
which  had  reference  to  a  trespass  committed  in  the 
common  transactions  and  relations  of  human  life. 
In  so  doing,  we  shall  find  one  or  two  points  which 
demand  our  attentive  consideration. 

And  first,  the  expression,  "if  a  soul  sin  through 
ignorance,"  which  occurs  in  the  former,  is  omitted 
in  the  latter.  The  reason  of  this  is  obvious.  The 
claims  which  stand  connected  with  the  holy  things 
of  the  Lord  must  pass  infinitely  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  most  elevated  human  sensibility.  Those  claims 
may  be  continually  interfered  with — continually 
trespassed  upon,  and  the  trespasser  not  be  aware 
of  the  fact.  Man's  consciousness  can  never  be  the 
regulator  in  the  sanctuary  of  God.  This  is  an 
unspeakable  mercy.  God's  holiness  alone  must  fix 
the  standard  when  God's  rights  are  in  question. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  human  conscience  can 
readily  grasp  the  full  amount  of  a  human  claim, 
and  can  readily  take  cognizance  of  any  interference 
with  such  claim.  How  often  may  we  have  wronged 
God,  in  His  holy  things,  without  ever  taking  a  note 
of  it  in  the  tablet  of  conscience — yea,  without  hav- 
ing the  competency  to  detect  it.  (See  Mai.  iii.  8.) 
Not  so,  however,  when  man's  rights  are  in  question. 
The  wrong  which  the  human  e}-e  can  see,  and  the 
human  heart  feel,  the  human  conscience  can  take 
notice  of.  A  man,  ''through  ignorance  "of  the  laws 
which  governed  the  sanctuary  of  old,  might  commit 


CHAPTER    V.  14-VI.  7.  145 

a  trespass  against  those  laws  without  being  aware 
of  it,  until  a,  higher  light  had  shone  in  upon  his 
conscience;  but  a  man  could  not  "through  igno- 
rance" tell  a  lie,  swear  falsely,  commit  an  act  of 
violence,  deceive  his  neighbor,  or  find  a  lost  thing 
and  deny  it.  These  were  all  plain  and  palpable  acts, 
lying  within  the  range  of  the  most  sluggish  sens- 
ibilit}T.  Hence  it  is  that  the  expression,  "through 
ignorance"  is  introduced  in  reference  to  "the  holy 
things  of  the  Lord,"  and  omitted  in  reference  to 
the  common  affairs  of  men.  How  blessed  it  is  to 
know  that  the  precious  blood  of  Christ  has  settled 
all  questions,  whether  with  respect  to  God  or  man — 
our  sins  of  ignorance  or  our  known  sins  !  Here  lies 
the  deep  and  settled  foundation  of  the  believer's 
peace.  The  cross  has  divinely  met  ALL. 

Again,  when  it  was  a  question  of  trespass  "in  the 
holy  things  of  the  Lord,"  the  unblemished  sacrifice 
was  first  introduced  ;  and  afterward, "the  principal" 
and  "the  fifth."  This  order  was  reversed  when  it 
was  a  question  of  the  common  affairs  of  life.  (Comp. 
chap.  v.  15,  16  with  chap.  vi.  4-7.)  The  reason  of 
this  is  equally  obvious.  When  the  divine  rights 
were  infringed,  the  blood  of  atonement  was  made 
the  great  prominent  matter ;  whereas  when  human 
rights  were  interfered  with,  restitution  would  natu- 
rally assume  the  leading  place  in  the  mind.  But 
inasmuch  as  the  latter  involved  the  question  of  the 
soul's  relation  with  God  as  well  as  the  former, 
therefore  the  sacrifice  is  introduced,  though  it  be 
last  in  order.  If  I  wrong  my  fellow-man,  that 


146  LEVITICUS. 

wrong  will  undoubtedly  interfere  with  my  commun- 
ion with  God ;  and  that  communion  can  only  be 
restored  on  the  ground  of  atonement.  Mere  resti- 
tution would  not  avail ;  it  might  satisfy  the  injured 
man,  but  it  could  not  form  the  basis  of  restored 
communion  with  God.  I  might  restore  "the  prin- 
cipal" and  add  "the  fifth"  ten  thousand  times  over, 
and  3*et  my  sin  remain,  for  "without  shedding  of 
blood  is  no  remission."  (Heb.  ix.  22.)  Still,  if  it 
be  a  question  of  injury  done  to  my  neighbor,  then 
restitution  must  first  be  made. — "If  thou  bring  thy 
gift  to  the  altar,  and  there  re  member est  that  thy 
brother  hath  aught  against  thee,  leave  there  thy 
gift  before  the  altar,  and  go  thy  way ;  first  be  rec- 
onciled to  thy  brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  thy 
gift."  (Matt.  v.  23,  24.)* 

There  is  far  more  involved  in  the  divine  order 
prescribed  in  the  trespass-offering  than  might  at 
first  sight  appear.  The  claims  which  arise  out  of 
our  human  relations  must  not  be  disregarded  ;  they 
must  ever  get  their  proper  place  in  the  heart.  This 

*From  a  comparison  of  Matt.  v.  23,  24  with  Matt,  xviii.  21,  22, 
we  may  learn  a  fine  principle  as  to  the  Avay  in  which  wrongs  and 
injuries  are  to  be  settled  between  two  brothers.  The  injuver is  sent 
back  from  the  altar,  in  order  to  have  his  matters  set  straight  with 
the  injured  one ;  for  there  can  be  no  communion  with  the  Father 
so  long  as  my  brother  "  hath  aught  against  me."  But  then,  mark 
the  beauteous  way  in  which  the  injured  one  is  taught  to  receive 
the  injurer. — "  '  Lord,  how  oft  shall  my  brother  sin  against  me,  and 
I  forgive  him  ?  till  seven  times  ? '  Jesus  saith  unto  him, '  I  say  not 
unto  thee,  Until  seven  times  ;  but,  Until  seventy  times  seven.'  "  Such 
is  the  divine  mode  of  settling  all  questions  between  brethren. 
"Forbearing  one  another,  and  forgiving  one  another,  if  any  man 
have  a  quarrel  against  any:  even  as  Christ  forgave  you,  so  also  do 
ye."  (Col.  iii.  13.) 


CHAPTER    V.  14-VI.  7.  147 

is  distinctly  taught  in  the  trespass-offering.  When 
an  Israelite  had,  by  an  act  of  trespass,  deranged 
his  relation  with  Jehovah,  the  order  was,  sacrifice 
and  restitution  :  when  he  had,  by  an  act  of  trespass, 
deranged  his  relation  with  his  neighbor,  the  order 
was,  restitution  and  sacrifice.  Will  any  one  under- 
take to  say  this  is  a  distinction  without  a  difference? 
Does  the  change  of  the  order  not  convey  its  own 
appropriate,  because  divinely  appointed,  lesson  ? 
Unquestionably.  Every  point  is  pregnant  with 
meaning,  if  we  will  but  allow  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
convey  that  meaning  to  our  hearts,  and  not  seek  to 
grasp  it  by  the  aid  of  our  poor  vain  imaginings. 
Each  offering  conveys  its  own  characteristic  view  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  and  His  work,  and  each  is  presented 
in  its  own  characteristic  order  ;  and,  we  may  safely 
say,  it  is  at  once  the  business  and  the  delight  of 
the  spiritual  mind  to  apprehend  both  the  one  and 
the  other.  The  very  same  character  of  mind  which 
would  seek  to  make  nothing  of  the  peculiar  order 
of  each  offering,  would  also  set  aside  the  idea  of  a 
peculiar  phase  of  Christ  in  each.  It  would  deny 
the  existence  of  any  difference  between  the  burnt- 
offering  and  the  sin-offering,  and  between  the  sin- 
offering  and  the  trespass-offering,  and  between  any 
or  all  of  these  and  the  meat-offering  or  the  peace- 
offering.  Hence,  it  would  follow  that  the  first  seven 
chapters  of  the  book  of  Leviticus  are  all  a  vain 
repetition,  each  successive  chapter  going  over  the 
same  thing.  Who  could  cede  aught  so  monstrous 
as  this?  What  Christian  mind  could  suffer  such  an 


148  '  LEVITICUS. 

insult  to  be  offered  to  the  sacred  page?  A' German 
rationalist  or  neologian  may  put  forth  such  vain  and 
detestable  notions,  but  those  who  have  been  divinely 
taught  that  "all  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of 
God,"  will  be  led  to, regard  the  various  types,  in 
their  specific  order,  as  so  many  variously-shaped 
caskets,  in  which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  treasured  up, 
for  the  people  of  God,  "the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ."  There  is  no  tedious  repetition,  no  redun- 
dancy. All  is  rich,  divine,  heavenly  variety ;  and 
all  we  need  is  to  be  personally  acquainted  with  the 
great  Antitype,  in  order  to  enter  into  the  be'auties 
and  seize  the  delicate  touches  of  each  type.  Directly 
the  heart  lays  hold  of  the  fact  that  it  is  Christ  we 
have  in  each  type,  it  can  hang  with  spiritual  in- 
terest over  the  most  minute  details,  it  sees  mean- 
ing and  beauty  in  every  thing,  it  finds  Christ  in 
all.  As,  in  the  kingdom  of  nature,  the  telescope 
and  the  microscope  present  to  the  eye  their  own 
special  wonders,  so  with  the  Word  of  God  ;  whether 
we  look  at  it  as  a  whole,  or  scrutinize  each  clause, 
we  find  that  which  elicits  the  worship  and  thanks- 
giving of  our  hearts. 

Christian  reader,  may  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
ever  be  more  precious  to  our  hearts  !  Then  shall  we 
value  every  thing  that  speaks  of  Him — every  thing 
that  sets  Him  forth — every  thing  affording  a  fresh 
insight  into  His  peculiar  excellency  and  matchless 
beauty. 


NOTE. — The   remainder  of  chapter  vi,  together 


CHAPTER    V.  14-VI.  7.  149 

•with  the  whole  of  chapter  vii,  is  occupied  with  the 
law  of  the  various  offerings,  to  which  reference 
has  already  been  made.  There  are,  however,  s.ome 
points  presented  in  the  law  of  the  sin-offering  and 
the  trespass-offering  which  may  be  noticed  ere  we 
leave  this  copious  section  of  our  book. 

In  none  of  the  offerings  is  Christ's  personal  holi- 
ness more  strikingly  presented  than  in  the  sin- 
offering.  "Speak  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons, 
saying,  This  is  the  law  of  the  sin-offering:  In  the 
place  where  the  burnt- offering  is  killed  shall  the 
sin-offering  be  killed  before  the  Lord:  it  is  most 

holy Whatsoever  shall  touch   the   flesh 

thereof  shall  be  holy All  the  males  among 

the  priests  shall  eat  thereof:  it  is  most  holy." 
(Chap.  vi.  25-29.)  So  also  in  speaking  of  the  meat- 
offering, "It  is  most  holy,  as  is  the  sin-offering,  and 
as  the  trespass-offering."  This  is  most  marked  and 
striking.  The  Holy  Ghost  did  not  need  to  guard 
with  such  jealousy  the  personal  holiness  of  Christ  in 
the  burnt-offering ;  but  lest  the  soul  should,  by  any 
means,  lose  sight  of  that  holiness  while  contemplat- 
ing the  place  which  the  blessed  One  took  in  the  sin- 
offering,  we  are  again  and  again  reminded  of  it  by 
the  words,  "It  is  most  holy."  Truly  edifying  and 
refreshing  it  is  to  behold  the  divine  and  essential 
holiness  of  the  Person  of  Christ  shining  forth  in  the 
midst  of  Calvary's -profound  and  awful  gloom.  The 
same  point  is  observable  "in  the  law  of  the  trespass- 
offering."  (See  chap.  vii.  1,6.)  Never  was  the  Lord 
Jesus  more  fully  seen  to  be  "the  Holy  One  of  God" 


150  LEVITICUS. 

than  when  He  was  "made  sin ' '  upon  the  cursed  tree. 
The  vileness  and  blackness  of  that  with  which  He 
stood  identified  on  the  cross,  only  served  to  show 
out  more  clearly  that  He  was  "most  holy."  Though 
a  sin-bearer,  He  was  sinless ;  though  enduring  the 
wrath  of  God,  He  was  the  Father's  delight ;  though 
deprived  of  the  light  of  God's  countenance,  He  dwelt 
in  the  Father's  bosom.  Precious  nrystery  !  Who  can 
sound  its  mighty  depths?  How  wronderful  to  find  it 
so  accurately  shadowed  forth  in  "the  law  of  the  sin- 
offering"  ! 

Again,  my  reader  should  seek  to  apprehend  the 
meaning  of  the  expression,  "All  the  mcdes  among 
the  priests  shall  eat  thereof."  The  ceremonial  act  of 
eating  the  sin-offering  or  the  trespass-offering  was 
expressive  of  full  identification  ;  but  to  eat  the  sin- 
offering — to  make  another's  sin  one's  own,  demanded 
a  higher  degree  of  priestly  energy,  such  as  was  ex- 
pressed in  "the  mcdes  among  the  priests."  "And 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  'Behold,  I  also  have 
given  thee  the  charge  of  Mine  heave-offerings  of  all 
the  hallowed  things  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  unto 
thee  have  I  given  them  by  reason  of  the  anointing, 
and  to  thy  sons,  by  an  ordinance  forever.  This  shall 
be  thine  of  the  most  holy  things,  reserved  from  the 
fire :  every  oblation  of  theirs,  every  meat-offering  of 
theirs,  and  every  sin-offering  of  theirs,  and  every 
trespass-offering  of  theirs,  which  they  shall  render 
unto  Me,  shall  be  most  holy  for  thee  and  for  thy 
sons.  In  the  most  holy  place  shalt  thou  eat  it ;  every 
male  shall  eat  it:  it  shall  be  holy  unto  thee,  And 


CHAPTER   V.  14-VI.  7.  151 

this  is  thine ;  the  heave-offering  of  their  gift,  with 
all  the  wave-offerings  of  the  children  of  Israel:  I 
have  given  them  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  sons  and  to 
thy  daughters  with  thee,  by  a  statute  forever :  every 
one  that  is  clean  in  thy  house  shall  eat  of  it."  (Numb, 
xviii.  8-11.) 

It  demanded  a  larger  measure  of  priestly  energy 
to  eat  of  the  sin  or  trespass-offering  than  merely  to 
partake  of  the  heave  and  wave-offerings  of  gift.  The 
4 'daughters "of  Aaron  could  eat  of  the  latter:  none 
but  the  "sons"  could  eat  of  the  former.  In  gen- 
eral, "the  male"  expresses  a  thing  according  to 
the  divine  idea;  "the  female,"  according  to  human 
development.  The  former  gives  you  the  thing  in 
full  energy ;  the  latter,  in  its  imperfections.  How 
few  of  us  have  sufficient  priestly  energy  to  enable 
us  to  make  another's  sin  or  trespass  our  own  !  The 
blessed  Lord  Jesus  did  this  perfectly.  He  made 
His  people's  sins  His  own,  and  bore  the  judgment 
thereof,  on  the  cross.  He  fully  identified  Himself 
with  us,  so  that  we  may  know,  in  full  and  blessed 
certainty,  that  the  whole  question  of  sin  and  tres- 
pass has  been  divinely  settled.  If  Christ's  identifi- 
cation was  perfect,  then  the  settlement  was  perfect 
likewise  ;  and  that  it  was  perfect,  the  scene  enacted 
at  Calvary  declares.  All  is  accomplished.  The  sin, 
the  trespasses,  the  claims  of  God,  the  claims  of  man 
— all  have  been  eternally  settled  ;  and  now,  perfect 
peace  is  the  portion  of  all  who,  by  grace,  accept 
as  jtrue  the  record  of  God.  It  is  as  simple  as  God 
could  make  it,  and  the  soul  that  believes  it  is  made 


152  LEVITICUS. 

happy.  The  peace  and  happiness  of  the  believer 
depend  wholly  upon  the  perfection  of  Christ's  sacri- 
fice. It  is  not  a  question  of  his  mode  of  receiving 
it,  his  thoughts  about  it,  or  his  feelings  respecting 
it ;  it  is  simply  a  question  of  his  crediting,  by  faith, 
the  testimony  of  God  as  to  the  value  of  the  sacrifice. 
The  Lord  be  praised  for  His  own  simple  and  perfect 
way  of  peace !  May  many  troubled  souls  be  led  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  into  an  understanding  thereof? 

We  shall  here  close  our  meditations  upon  one  of 
the  richest  sections  in  the  whole  canon  of  inspira- 
tion. It  is  but  little  we  have  been  enabled  to  glean, 
from  it.  We  have  hardly  penetrated  below  the  sur- 
face of  an  exhaustless  mine.  If,  however,  the  reader 
has,  for  the  first  time,  been  led  to  view  the  offerings 
as  so  many  varied  exhibitions  of  the  great  Sacrifice, 
and  if  he  is  led  to  cast  himself  at  the  feet  of  the 
great  Teacher,  to  learn  more  of  the  living  depths  of 
these  things,  I  cannot  but  feel  that  an  end  has  been 
gained  for  which  we  may  well  feel  deeply  thankful. 


CHAPTERS  VIII.  &  IX. 

HAVING  considered  the  doctrine  of  sacrifice,  as 
unfolded  in  the  first  seven  chapters  of  this 
book,  we  now  approach  the  subject  of  priesthood. 
The  two  subjects  are  intimately  connected.  The 
sinner  needs  a  sacrifice;  the  believer  needs  a  priest. 
We  have  both  the  one  and  the  other  in  Christ,  wjio, 
having  offered  Himself  without  spot  to  God,  entered 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  153 

upon  the  sphere  of  His  priestly  ministry  in  the 
sanctuary  above.  We  need  no  other  sacrifice,  no 
other  priest:  Jesus  is  divinely  sufficient.  He  im- 
parts the  dignity  and  worth  of  His  own  Person  to 
every  office  He  sustains,  and  to  every  work  He  per- 
forms. When  we  see  Him  as  a  sacrifice,  we  know 
that  we  have  in  Him  all  that  a  perfect  sacrifice  could 
be  ;  and  when  we  see  Him  as  a  priest,  we  know  that 
every  function  of  the  priesthood  is  perfectly  dis- 
charged by  Him.  As  a  sacrifice,  He  introduces  His 
people  into  a  settled  relationship  with  God  ;  and  as  a 
priest,  He  maintains  them  therein,  according  to  the 
perfectness  of  what  He  is.  Priesthood  is  designed 
for  those  who  already  stand  in  a  certain  relationship 
with  God.  As  sinners,  by  nature  and  by  practice, 
we  are  "brought  nigh  to  God  by  the  blood  of  the 
cross  ;"  we  are  brought  into  an  established  relation- 
ship with  Him  ;  we  stand  before  Him  as  the  fruit  of 
His  own  work.  He  has  put  away  our  sins  in  such  a 
manner  as  suits  Himself,  so  that  we  might  be  before 
Him  to  the  praise  of  His  name,  as  the  exhibition  of 
what  He  can  accomplish  through  the  power  of  death 
and  resurrection. 

But  though  so  fully  delivered  from  every  thing 
that  could  be  against  us  —  though  so  perfectly  ac- 
cepted in  the  Beloved — though  so  complete  in  Christ 
— though  so  highly  exalted,  yet  are  we,  in  ourselves, 
while  down  here,  poor  feeble  creatures,  ever  prone 
to  wander,  ready  to  stumble,  exposed  to  manifold 
temptations,  trials,  and  snares.  As  such,  we  need 
the  ceaseless  ministry  of  our  "great  High-Priest," 


154  LEVITICUS. 

whose  very  presence  in  the  sanctuary  above  main- 
tains us  in  the  full  integrity  of  that  place  and  rela- 
tionship in  which,  through  grace,  we  stand.  "He 
ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us."  (Heb.  vii. 
25.)  We  could  not  stand  for  a  moment  down  here 
if  He  were  not  living  for  us  up  there.  "Because  I 
live,  ye  shall  live  also."  (John  xiv.  19.)  "For  if, 
when  we  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God 
by  the  death  of  His  Son,  much  more,  being  recon- 
ciled, we  shall  be  saved  by  His  life."  (Rom.  v.  10.) 
The  "death"  and  the  "life"  are  inseparably  con- 
nected in  the  economy  of  grace.  But,  be  it  observed, 
the  life  comes  after  the  death.  It  is  Christ's  life  as 
risen  from  the  dead,  and  not  His  life  down  here,  that 
the  apostle  refers  to  in  the  last-quoted  passage. 
This  distinction  is  eminently  worthy  of  my  reader's 
attention.  The  life  of  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus  while 
down  here  was,  I  need  hardly  remark,  infinitely 
precious;  but  He  did  not  enter  upon  His  sphere  of 
priestly  service  until  He  had  accomplished  the  work 
of  redemption.  Nor  could  He  have  done  so,  inas- 
much as  "it  is  evident  that  our  Lord  sprang  out 
of  Juda,  of  which  tribe  Moses  spake  nothing  con- 
cerning priesthood."  (Heb.  vii.  14.)  "For  every 
high-priest  is  ordained  to  offer  gifts  and  sacrifices ; 
wherefore  it  is  of  necessity  that  this  Man  have  some- 
what also  to  offer.  For  if  lie  were  on  earth,  He 
should  not  be  a  priest,  seeing  that  there  are  priests 
that  offer  gifts  according  to  the  law."  (Heb.  viii.  3, 
4.)  "But  Christ  being  come  a  high-priest  of  good 
things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and  more  perfect  tab- 


CHAPTERS    V11I.  &  IX.  155 

ernacle,  not  made  with  hands,  that  is  to  sa}T,  not  of 
this  building ;  neither  by  the  blood  of  goats  and 
calves,  but  by  His  own  blood  He  entered  in  once 
into  the  hoi}*  place,  having  obtained  eternal  redemp- 
tion. ....  For  Christ  is  not  entered  into  the 
holy  places  made  with  hands,  which  are  the  figures 
of  the  true ;  but  into  heaven  itself,  now  to  appear 
in  the  presence  of  God  for  us."  (Heb.  ix.  11, 12, 24.) 
Heaven,  not  earth,  is  the  sphere  of  Christ's 
priestly  ministry ;  and  on  that  sphere  He  entered 
when  He  had  offered  Himself  without  spot  to  God. 
He  never  appeared  as  a  priest  in  the  temple  below. 
He  ofttimes  went  up  to  the  temple  to  teach,  but 
never  to  sacrifice  or  burn  incense.  There  never  was 
any  one  ordained  of  God  to  discharge  the  functions 
of  the  priestly  office  on  earth  save  Aaron  and  his 
sons.  "If  He  were  on  earth,  He  should  not  be 
a  priest."  This  is  a  point  of  much  interest  and 
value  in  connection  with  the  doctrine  of  priesthood. 
Heaven  is  the  sphere,  and  accomplished  redemption 
the  basis,  of  Christ's  priesthood.  Save  in  the  sense 
that  all  believers  are  priests  (1  Pet.  ii.  5.),  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  a  priest  upon  earth.  Unless  a  man 
can  show  his  descent  from  Aaron — unless  he  can 
trace  his  pedigree  up  to  that  ancient  source,  he  has 
no  right  to  exercise  the  priestly  office.  Apostolic 
succession  itself,  could  it  be  proved,  would  be  of  no 
possible  value  here,  inasmuch  as  the  apostles  them- 
selves were  not  priests,  save  in  the  sense  above 
referred  to.  The  feeblest  member  of  the  household 
of  faith  is  as  much  a  priest  as  the  apostle  Peter 


156  LEVITICUS. 

himself.  He  is  a  spiritual  priest, — he  worships  in  a 
spiritual  temple,  he  stands  at  a  spiritual  altar,  he 
offers  a  spiritual  sacrifice,  he  is  clad  in  spiritual 
vestments.  "Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up 
a  spiritual  house,  a  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up 
spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ."  (1  Pet.  ii.  5.)  "By  Him,  therefore,  let  us 
offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually,  that 
is,  the  fruit  of  our  lips,  giving  thanks  to  His  name. 
But  to  do  good  and  to  communicate  forget  not,  for 
with  such  sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased."  (Heb. 
xiii.  15,  16.) 

If  one  of  the  direct  descendants  of  the  house  of 
Aaron  were  converted  to  Christ,  he  would  enter 
upon  an  entirely  new  character  and  ground  of 
priestly  service.  And  be  it  observed,  that  the 
passages  just  quoted  present  the  two  great  classes 
of  spiritual  sacrifice  which  the  spiritual  priest  is 
privileged  to  offer.  There  is  the  sacrifice  of  praise 
to  God,  and  the  sacrifice  of  benevolence  to  man. 
There  is  a  double  stream  continually  going  forth 
from  the  believer  who  is  living  in  the  realization  of 
his  priestly  place — a  stream  of  grateful  praise  as- 
cending to  the  throne  of  God,  and  a  stream  of  active 
benevolence  flowing  forth  to  a  needy  world.  The 
spiritual  priest  stands  with  one  hand  lifted  up  to 
God  in  the  presentation  of  the  incense  of  grateful 
praise,  and  the  other  opened  wide  to  minister,  in 
genuine  beneficence,  to  every  form  of  human  need. 
Were  these  things  more  distinctly  apprehended, 
what  hallowed  elevation  and  what  moral  grace 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  157 

would  they  not  impart  to  the  Christian  character  ! 
Elevation,  inasmuch  as  the  heart  would  ever  be 
lifted  up  to  the  infinite  Source  of  all  that  is  capable 
of  elevating;  moral  grace,  inasmuch  as  the  heart 
would  ever  be  kept  open  to  all  demands  upon  its 
sympathies.  The  two  things  are  inseparable.  Im- 
mediate occupation  of  heart  with  God  must,  of 
necessity,  elevate  and  enlarge ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  if  one  walks  at  a  distance  from  God,  the 
heart  will  become  groveling  and  contracted.  In- 
timacy of  communion  with  God — the  habitual  real- 
ization of  our  priestly  dignity,  is  the  only  effectual 
remedy  for  the  downward  and  selfish  tendencies  of 
the  old  nature. 

Having  said  thus  much  on  the  subject  of  priest- 
hood in  general,  both  as  to  its  primary  and  secondary 
aspects,  we  shall  proceed  to  examine  the  contents  of 
the  eighth  and  ninth  chapters  of  the  book  of  Le- 
viticus. 

4 'And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Take 
Aaron  and  his  sons  with  him,  and  the  garments,  and 
the  anointing  oil,  and  a  bullock  for  the  sin-offering, 
and  two  rams,  and  a  basket  of  unleavened  bread ; 
jand  gather  thou  all  the  congregation  together  unto 
the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation.' 
And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded  him  ;  and 
the  assembly  was  gathered  together  unto  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation."  There  is 
special  grace  unfolded  here.  The  whole  assembly 
is  convened  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  in  order  that  all  might  have  the 


158  LEVITICUS. 

privilege  of  beholding  the  one  who  was  about  to  be 
intrusted  with  the  charge  of  their  most  important 
interests.  In  the  twenty-eighth  and  twenty-ninth 
of  Exodus  we  are  taught  the  same  general  truth 
with  respect  to  the  vestments  and  sacrifices  con- 
nected with  the  priestly  office  ;  but  in  Leviticus,  the 
the  congregation  is  introduced;  and  allowed  to  look 
on  at  every  movement  in  the  solemn  and  impressive 
service  of  consecration.  The  humblest  member  of 
the  assembly  had  his  own  place.  Each  one — the 
lowest  as  well  as  the  highest — was  permitted  to  gaze 
upon  the  person  of  the  high-priest,  upon  the  sacri- 
fice which  he  offered,  and  upon  the  robes  which  he 
wore.  Each  one  had  his  own  peculiar  need,  and 
the  God  of  Israel  would  have  each  to  see  and  know 
that  his  need  was  fully  provided  for  by  the  varied 
qualifications  of  the  high-priest  who  stood  before 
him.  Of  these  qualifications  the  priestly  robes  were 
the  apt  typical  expression.  Each  portion  of  the 
dress  was  designed  and  adapted  to  set  forth  some 
special  qualification  in  which  the  assembly  as  a 
whole,  and  each  individual  member,  would,  of  ne- 
cessity, be  deeply  interested.  The  coat,  the  girdle, 
the  robe,  the  ephod,  the  breastplate,  the  Urim  and^ 
the  Thummim,  the  mitre,  the  holy  crown — all  told 
out  the  varied  virtues,  qualifications,  and  functions 
of  the  one  who  was  to  represent  the  congregation 
and  maintain  the  interests  thereof  in  the  divine 
presence. 

Thus  it  is  the  believer  can,  with  the  e}Te  of  faith, 
behold  his  great  High-Priest  in  the  heavens,  and 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  159 

see  in  Him  the  divine  realities  of  which  the  Aaronic 
vestments  were  but  the  shadows.  The  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  holy  One,  the  anointed  One,  the  mitred 
One,  the  girded  One.  He  is  all  these,  not  in  A'irtue 
of  outward  garments  to  be  put  on  or  off,  but  in 
virtue  of  the  divine  and  eternal  graces  of  His  Per- 
son, the  changeless  efficacy  of  His  work,  and  the 
imperishable  virtue  of  His  sacred  offices.  This  is 
the  special  value  of  studying  the  t}'pes  of  the  Mosaic 
econom3T.  The  enlightened  eye  sees  Christ  in  all. 
The  blood  of  the  sacrifice  and  the  robe  of  the  high- 
priest  both  point  to  Him — both  were  designed  of 
God  to  set  Him  forth.  If  it  be  a  question  of  con- 
science, the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  meets  it,  accord- 
ing to  the  just  claims  of  the  sanctuary.  Grace  has 
met  the  demand  of  holiness.  And  then,  if  it  be  a 
question  of  the  need  connected  with  the  believer's 
position  down  here,  he  can  see  it  all  divinely  an- 
swered in  the  official  robes  of  the  high-priest. 

And  here  let  me  say,  there  are  two  ways  in  which 
to  contemplate  the  believer's  position — two  ways  in 
which  that  position  is  presented  in  the  Word,  which 
must  be  taken  into  account  ere  the  true  idea  of 
priesthood  can  be  intelligently  laid  hold  of.  The 
believer  is  represented  as  being  part  of  a  body  of 
which  Christ  is  the  Head.  This  body,  with  Christ 
its  Head,  is  spoken  of  as  forming  one  man,  com- 
plete in  every  respect.  It  was  quickened  with 
Christ,  raised  with  Christ,  and  in  Christ  seated 
in  the  heavens.  It  is  one  with  Him,  complete  in 
Hire,  accepted  in  Him,  possessing  His  life,  and 
12 


160  LEVITICUS. 

standing  in  His  favor  before  God.  All  trespasses 
are  blotted  out.  There  is  no  spot.  All  is  fair 
and  lovely  beneath  the  eye  of  God.  (See  1  Cor. 
xii.  12,  13;  Eph.  ii.  5-10;  Col.  ii.  6-15  ;  Uohn 
iv.  17.) 

Then,  again,  the  believer  is  contemplated  as  in 
the  place  of  need,  weakness,  and  dependence  down 
here  in  this  world.  He  is  ever  exposed  to  tempta- 
tion, prone  to  wander,  liable  to  stumble  and  fall. 
As  such,  he  continually  stands  in  need  of  the  per- 
fect sympathy  and  powerful  ministrations  of  the 
High-Priest,  who  ever  appears  in  the  presence  of 
God  in  the  full  value  of  His  Person  and  work,  and 
who  represents  the  believer  and  maintains  his  cause 
before  the  throne. 

Now,  my  reader  should  ponder  both  these  aspects 
of  the  believer,  in  order  that  he  may  see,  not  only 
what  a  highly  exalted  and  privileged  place  he  occu- 
pies with  Christ  on  high,  but  also  what  ample  pro- 
vision there  is  for  him  in  reference  to  his  every 
need  and  weakness  here  below.  This  distinction 
might  further  be  developed  in  this  way: — The  be- 
liever is  represented  as  being  of  the  Church,  and  in 
the  kingdom.  As  the  former,  heaven  is  his  place, 
his  home,  his  portion,  the  seat  of  his  affections:  as 
the  latter,  he  is  on  earth,  in  the  place  of  trial, 
responsibility,  and  conflict.  Hence,  therefore, 
priesthood  is  a  divine  provision  for  those  who 
though  being  of  the  Church,  and  belonging  to 
heaven,  are  nevertheless  in  the  kingdom,  and  walk- 
ing on  the  earth.  This  distinction  is  a  very  simple 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  161 

one,  and,  when  apprehended,  explains  a  vast  num- 
ber of  passages  of  Scripture  in  which  many  minds 
encounter  considerable  difficulty.* 

In  looking  into  the  contents  of  the  chapters  which 
lie  open  before  us,  we  may  remark  three  things  put 
prominently  forward,  namely,  the  authority  of  the 
Word,  the  value  of  the  blood,  the  power  of  the 
Spirit.  These  are  weighty  matters — matters  of 
unspeakable  importance — matters  which  must  be 
regarded  by  every  Christian  as  unquestionably  vital 
and  fundamental. 

And,  first,  as  to  the  authority  of  the  Word,  it  is 
of  the  deepest  interest  to  see  that  in  the  consecra- 
tion of  the  priests,  as  well  as  in  the  entire  range  of 
the  sacrifices,  we  are  brought  immediately  under 
the  authority  of  the  Word  of  God. — "And  Moses 
said  unto  the  congregation,  '  This  is  the  thing  which 
the  Lord  commanded  to  be  done.' "  (Chap.  viii.  5.) 
And  again,  "Moses  said,  '  TJiis  is  the  thing  which 
the  Lord  commanded  that  ye  should  do:  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  shall  appear  unto  you."'  (Chap. 
ix.  6.)  Let  these  words  sink  down  into  oifr  ears; 
let  them  be  carefully  and  prayerfully  pondered: 
they  are  priceless  words. — "  This  is  the  thing  which 
the  Lord  commanded."  He  did  not  say,  This  is 
the  thing  which  is  expedient,  agreeable,  or  suitable  ; 
neither  did  he  say,  This  is  the  thing  which  has  been 

*A  comparison  of  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians  with  the  lirst 
epistle  of  Peter  will  furnish  the  reader  with  much  valuable  in- 
struction in  reference  to  the  double  aspect  of  the  believer's  posi- 
tion. The  former  shows  him  as  seated  in  heaven;  the  latter,  as 
a  pilgrim  and  a  sufferer  on  earth. 


162  LEVITICUS. 

arranged  by  the  voice  of  the  fathers,  the  decree  of 
the  elders,  or  the  opinion  of  the  doctors.  Moses 
knew  nothing  of  such  sources  of  authority*  To  him 
there  was  one  holy,  elevated,  paramount  source  of 
authority,  and  that  was,  the  Word  of  Jehovah,  and 
he  would  bring  every  member  of  the  assembly  into 
direct  contact  with  that  blessed  source.  This  gave 
assurance  to  the  heart,  and  fixedness  to  all  the 
thoughts.  There  was  no  room  left  for  tradition, 
with  its  uncertain  sound,  or  for  man,  with  his 
doubtful  disputations.  All  was  clear,  conclusive, 
and  authoritative.  Jehovah  had  spoken ;  and  all 
that  was  needed  was  to  hear  what  He  had  said,  and 
obe}7.  Neither  tradition  nor  expediency  has  any 
place  in  the  heart  that  has  learnt  to  prize,  to  rever- 
ence, and  to  obey  the  Word  of  God. 

And  what  was  to  be  the  result  of  this  strict  ad- 
herence to  the  Word  of  God  ?  A  truly  blessed 
result  indeed. — "The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  appear 
unto  }'ou."  Had  the  Word  been  disregarded,  the 
glory  would  not  have  appeared.  The  two  things 
were  intimately  connected.  The  slightest  deviation 
from  "Thus  saith  Jehovah"  would  have  prevented 
the  beams  of  the  divine  glory  from  appearing  to  the 
congregation  of  Israel.  Had  there  been  the  intro- 
duction of  a  single  rite  or  ceremony  not  enjoined 
by  the  Word,  or  had  there  been  the  omission  of 
aught  which  that  Word  commanded,  Jehovah  would 
not  have  manifested  His  glory.  He  could  not  sanc- 
tion by  the  glory  of  His  presence  the  neglect  or 
rejection  of  His  Word.  He  can  bear  with  ignorance 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  .  163 

and  infirmit}*,  but  He  cannot  sanction  neglect  or 
disobedience. 

Oh  that  all  this  were  more  solemnly  considered, 
in  this  day  of  tradition  and  expediency !  I  would, 
in  earnest  affection,  and  in  the  deep  sense  of  per- 
sonal responsibility  to  my  reader,  exhort  him  to 
give  diligent  heed  to  the  importance  of  close — I  had 
almost  said  severe — adherence  and  reverent  subjec- 
tion to  the  Word  of  God.  Let  him  try  every  thing 
by  that  standard,  and  reject  all  that  comes  not  up 
to  it, — let  him  weigh  every  thing  in  that  balance, 
and  cast  aside  all  that  is  not  full  weight, — let  him 
measure  every  thing  by  that  rule,  and  refuse  all 
deviation.  If  I  could  only  be  the  means  of  awaken- 
ing one  soul  to  a  proper  sense  of  the  place  which 
belongs  to  the  Word  of  God,  I  should  feel  I  had 
not  written  my  book  for  naught  or  in  vain. 

Reader,  pause,  and,  in  the  presence  of  the  Searcher 
of  hearts,  ask  yourself  this  plain,  pointed  question  : 
Am  I  sanctioning  by  my  presence,  or  adopting  in 
my  practice,  any  departure  from,  or  neglect  of,  the 
Word  of  God  ?  Make  this  a  solemn,  personal  mat- 
ter before  the  Lord.  Be  assured  of  it,  it  is  of  the 
very  deepest  moment — the  very  last  importance.  If 
you  find  that  3*011  have  been  in  any  wise  connected 
with,  or  involved  in,  aught  that  wears  not  the  dis- 
tinct stamp  of  divine  sanction,  reject  it  at  once  and 
forever.  Yes,  reject  it,  though  arrayed  in  the  im- 
posing vestments  of  antiquit}-,  accredited  by  the 
voice  of  tradition,  and  putting  forward  the  almost 
irresistible  plea  of  expediency.  If  }TOU  cannot  say, 


164  LEVITICUS. 

in  reference  to  every  thing  with  which  you  stand 
connected,  "This  is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath 
commanded,"  then  away  with  it  unhesitatingly, 
away  with  it  forever.  Remember  these  words,  "As 
He  hath  done  this  day,  so  the  Lord  hath  commanded 
to  do."  Yes,  remember  the  "as"  and  the  "so;" 
see  that  you  are  connecting  them  in  your  ways  and 
associations,  and  let  them  never  be  separated. 

"So  Aaron  and  his  sons  did  all  things  which  the 
Lord  commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses."  (Chap, 
viii.  36.)  "And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  into  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  came  out,  and 
blessed  the  people :  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ap- 
peared unto  all  the  people.  And  there  came  a  fire 
out  from  before  the  Lord,  and  consumed  upon  the 
altar  the  burnt-offering  and  the  fat ;  which,  when  all 
the  people  saw,  they  shouted  and  fell  on  their  faces." 
(Chap.  ix.  23,  24.)  Here  we  have  an  "eighth  day" 
scene — a  scene  of  resurrection-glon\  Aaron,  hav- 
ing offered  the  sacrifice,  lifted  up  his  hands  in 
priestly  benediction  upon  the  people ;  and  then 
Moses  and  Aaron  retire  into  the  tabernacle,  and 
disappear,  while  the  whole  assembly  is  seen  in  wait- 
ing outside.  Finally,  Moses  and  Aaron,  represent- 
ing Christ  in  His  double  character  as  Priest  ancl 
King,  come  forth,  and  bless  the  people ;  the  glory 
appears  in  all  its  splendor,  the  fire  consumes  the 
sacrifice,  and  the  entire  congregation  falls  prostrate 
in  worship  before  the  presence  of  the  Lord  of  all 
the  earth. 

Now,  all  this  was  literally  enacted  at  the  conse- 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  165 

oration  of  Aaron  and  his  sons ;  and,  moreover,  all 
this  was  the  result  of  strict  adherence  to  the  Word 
of  Jehovah.  But  ere  I  turn  from  this  branch  of  the 
subject,  let  me  remind  the  reader  that  all  that  these 
chapters  contain  is  but  "a  shadow  of  good  things 
to  come.'*  This,  indeed,  holds  good  in  reference  to 
the  entire  Mosaic  economy.  (Heb.  x.  1.)  Aaron 
and  his  sons  together  represent  Christ  and  His 
priestly  house;  Aaron  alone  represents  Christ  in 
His  sacrificial  and  intercessory  functions ;  Moses 
and  Aaron  together  represent  Christ  as  King  and 
Priest;  "the  eighth  day."  represents  the  day  of 
resurrection-glory,  when  the  congregation  of  Israel 
shall  sec  the  Messiah,  seated  as  a  Royal  Priest  upon 
His  throne,  and  when  the  glory  of  Jehovah  shall  fill 
the  whole  earth,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.  These 
sublime  truths  are  largely  unfolded  in  the  Word, 
they  glitter  like  gems  of  celestial  brilliancy  all  along 
the  inspired  page ;  but  lest  they  should,  to  any 
reader,,  wear  the  suspicious  aspect  of  novelt}*,  I 
shall  refer  him  to  the  following  direct  Scripture 
proofs;  viz.,  Num.  xiv.  21;  Isaiah  ix.  G,  7;  xi.  ; 
xxv.  6-12;  xxxii.  1,  2;  xxxv.  ;  xxxvii.  31,  32;  xl. 
1-5  ;  liv.  ;  lix.  1G-21 ;  Ix.-lxvi.  ;  passim,  Jer.  xxiii. 
5-8;  xxx.  10-24;  xxxiii.  6-22;  Ezek.  xlviii.  35; 
Dan.  vii.  13,  14;  Hos.  xiv.  4-9;  Zeph.  iii.  14-20; 
Zech.  iii.  8-10;  vi.  12,  13;  xiv. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  second  point  presented 
in  our  section,  namely,  the  efficacy  of  the  blood. 
This  is  unfolded  with  great  fullness,  and  put  for- 
ward in  great  prominence.  Whether  we  contem- 


166  LEVITICUS. 

plate  the  doctrine  of  sacrifice  or  the  doctrine  of 
priesthood,  we  find  the  shedding  of  blood  gets  the 
same  important  place.  "  And  he  brought  the  bull- 
ock for  the  sin-offering ;  and  Aaron  and  his  sons 
laid  their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  bullock  for 
the  sin-offering.  And  he  slew  it ;  and  Moses  took 
the  blood,  and  put  it  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar 
round  about  with  his  finger,  and  purified  the  altar, 
and  poured  the  blood  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar, 
and  sanctified  it,  to  make  reconciliation  upon  it." 
(Chap.  viii.  14,  15.)  "And  he  brought  the  ram  for 
the  burnt-offering;  and  Aaron  and  his  sons  laid 
their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  ram.  And  he 
killed  it  ;  and  Moses  sprinkled  the  blood  upon 
the  altar  round  about."  (Ver.  18,  19.)  "And  he 
brought  the  other  ram,  the  ram  of  consecration ; 
and  Aaron  and  his  sons  laid  their  hands  upon  the 
head  of  the  ram.  And  he  slew  it ;  and  Moses  took 
of  the  blood  of  it,  and  put  it  upon  the  tip  of  Aaron's 
right  ear,  and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand, 
and  upon  the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot.  And  he 
brought  Aaron's  sons,  and  Moses  put  of  the  blood 
upon  the  tip  of  their  right  ear,  and  upon  the  thumbs 
of  their  right  hands,  and  upon  the  great  toes  of 
their  right  feet ;  and  Moses  sprinkled  the  blood 
upon  the  altar  round  about."  (Ver.  22-24.) 

The  import  of  the  various  sacrifices  has  been,  in 
some  degree,  developed  in  the  opening  chapters  of 
this  volume  ;  but  the  passages  just  quoted  serve  to 
show  the  prominent  place  which  the  blood  occupies 
in  the  consecration  of  the  priests.  A  blood-stained 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  167 

ear  was  needed  to  hearken  to  the  divine  communi- 
cations, a  blood-stained  hand  was  needed  to  execute 
the  services  of  the  sanctuary,  and  a  blood-stained 
foot  was  needed  to  tread  the  courts  of  the  Lord's 
house.  All  this  is  perfect  in  its  way.  The  shedding 
of  blood  was  the  grand  foundation  of  all  sacrifice 
for  sin,  and  it  stood  connected  with  all  the  vessels 
of  the  ministry  and  with  all  the  functions  of  the 
priesthood.  Throughout  the  entire  range  of  Le- 
vitical  service,  we  observe  the  value,  the  efficacy, 
the  power,  and  the  wide  application  of  the  blood. 
"Almost  all  things  are  by  the  law  purged  with 
blood."  (Heb.  ix.  22.)  Christ  has  entered,  by  His 
own  blood,  into  heaven  itself.  He  appears  on  the 
throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  heavens  in  the  A-alue 
of  all  that  He  has  accomplished  on  the  cross.  His 
presence  on  the  throne  attests  the  worth  and  ac- 
ceptableness  of  His  atoning  blood.  He  is  there  for 
us.  Blessed  assurance  !  He  ever  liveth.  He  never 
changeth;  and  we  are  in  Him,  and  as  He  is.  He 
presents  us  to  the  Father  in  His  own  eternal  per- 
fectness ;  and  the  Father  delights  in  us  as  thus 
presented,  even  as  He  delights  in  the  One  who 
presents  us.  This  identification  is  typically  set 
forth  in  "Aaron  and  his  sons"  laying  their  hands 
upon  the  head  of  each  of  the  sacrifices.  They  all 
stood  before  God  in  the  value  of  the  same  sacrifice. 
Whether  it  were  the  "bullock  for  the  sin-offering," 
"the  ram  for  the  burnt-offering,"  or  "the  ram  of 
consecration,"  they  jointly  laid  their  hands  on  all. 
True,  Aaron  alone  was  anointed  before  the  blood 


1G8  LEVITICUS. 

was  shed, — he  was  clad  in  his  robes  of  office  and 
anointed  with  the  holy  oil  before  ever  his  sons  were 
clothed  or  anointed.  The  reason  of  this  is  obvious. 
Aaron,  when  spoken  of  by  himself,  typifies  Christ 
in  His  own  peerless  excellency  and  dignity;  and, 
as  we  know,  Christ  appeared  in  all  His  own  personal 
worth  and  was  anointed  by  the  Holy  Ghost  previous 
to  the  accomplishment  of  His  atoning  work.  In  all 
things  He  has  the  pre-eminence.  (Col.  i.)  Still, 
there  is  the  fullest  identification  afterwards  between 
Aaron  and  his  sons,  as  there  is  the  fullest  identifica- 
tion between  Christ  and  His  people.  "The  Sancti- 
fier  and  the  sanctified  are  all  of  one."  (Heb.  ii.) 
The  personal  distinctness  enhances  the  value  of  the 
mystic  oneness. 

This  truth  of  the  distinctness  and  yet  oneness  of 
the  Head  and  members  leads  us  naturally  to  our 
third  and  last  point,  namely,  the  power  of  ..the 
Spirit.  We  may  remark  how  much  takes  place 
between  the  anointing  of  Aaron  and  the  anointing 
of  his  sons  with  him.  The  blood  is  shed,  the  fat 
consumed  on  the  altar,  and  the  breast  waved  before 
the  Lord.  In  other  words,  the  Sacrifice  is  perfected, 
the  sweet  odor  thereof  ascends  to  God,  and  the  One 
who  offered  it  ascends  in  the  power  of  resurrection, 
and  takes  His  place  on  high.  All  this  comes  in  be- 
tween the  anointing  of  the  Head  and  the  anointing 
of  the  members.  Let  us  quote  and  compare  the 
passages.  First,  as  to  Aaron  alone,  we  read,  "And 
he  put  upon  him  the  coat,  and  girded  him  with  the 
girdle,  and  clothed  him  with  the  robe,  and  put  the 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  1C9 

ephod  upon  him,  and  he  girded  him  with  the  curious 
girdle  of  the  ephod,  and  bound  it  unto  him  there- 
with. And  he  put  the  breastplate  upon  him  ;  also  he 
put  in  the  breastplate  the  Urim  and  the  Thummim. 
And  he  put  the  mitre  upon  his  head ;  and  upon  the 
mitre,  even  upon  his  forefront,  did  he  put  the  golden 
plate,  the  holy  crown ;  as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses.  And  Moses  took  the  anointing  oil,  and 
anointed  the  tabernacle  and  all  that  was  therein, 
and  sanctified  them.  And  he  sprinkled  thereof 
upon  the  altar  seven  times,  and  anointed  the  altar 
and  all  his  vessels,  both  the  laver  and  his  foot,  to 
sanctify  them.  And  he  poured  of  the  anointing  oil 
upon  Aaron's  head,  and  anointed  him,  to  sanctify 
him."  (Chap.  viii.  7-12.) 

Here  we  have  Aaron  presented  alone.  The  anoint- 
ing oil  is  poured  upon  his  head,  and  that,  too,  in 
immediate  connection  with  the  anointing  of  all  the 
vessels  of  the  tabernacle.  The  whole  assembly  was 
permitted  to  behold  the  high-priest  clothed  in  his 
official  robes,  mitred  and  anointed;  and  not  only 
so,  but  as  each  garment  was  put  on — as  each  act 
was  performed — as  each  ceremony  was  enacted,  it 
was  seen  to  be  immediately  founded  upon  the  au- 
thority of  the  Word.  There  was  nothing  vague, 
nothing  arbitrary,  nothing  imaginative  :  all  was 
divinely  stable.  The  need  of  the  congregation  was 
fully  met,  and  met  in  such  a  way  as  that  it  could 
be  said,  "This  is  the  thing  which  Jehovah  com- 
manded to  be  done.'* 

Now,  in  Aaron  anointed  alone,  previous  to  the 


170  LEVITICUS. 

shedding  of  the  blood,  we  have  a  type  of  Christ, 
who,  until  He  offered  Himself  upon  the  cross,  stood 
entirely  alone.  There  could  be  no  union  between 
Him  and  His  people  save  on  the  ground  of  death 
and  resurrection.  This  all-important  truth  has 
already  been  referred  to,  and,  in  some  measure, 
developed  in  connection  with  the  subject  of  sacri- 
fice ;  but  it  adds  force  and  interest  to  it  to  see  it  so 
distinctly  presented  in  connection  with  the  question 
of  priesthood.  Without  shedding  of  blood  there 
was  no  remission — the  sacrifice  was  not  completed. 
So,  also,  without  shedding  of  blood  Aaron  and  his 
sons  could  not  be  anointed  together.  Let  the  reader 
note  this  fact ;  let  him  be  assured  of  it,  it  is  worthy 
of  his  deepest  attention.  We  must  ever  beware  of 
passing  lightly  over  any  circumstance  in  the  Le- 
vitical  economy.  Every  thing  has  its  own  specific 
voice  and  meaning ;  and  the  One  who  designed  and 
developed  the  order  can  expound  to  the  heart  and 
understanding  what  that  order  means. 

"And  Moses  took  of  the  anointing  oi7,  and  of  the 
blood  which  was  upon  the  altar,  and  sprinkled  it 
upon  Aaron,  and  upon  his  garments,  and  upon  his 
sons,  and  upon  his  sons'  garments  with  him  ;  and 
sanctified  Aaron,  and  his  garments,  and  his  sons, 
and  his  sons'  garments  with  him."  (Chap.  viii.  30.) 
Why  were  not  Aaron's  sons  anointed  with  him  at 
verse  12  ?  Simply  because  the  blood  had  not  been 
shed.  When  "the  blood"  and  "the  oil"  could  be 
connected  together,  then  Aaron  and  his  sons  could 
be  "anointed"  and  "sanctified"  together,  but  not 


CHAPTERS    VIII.  &  IX.  171 

until  then.  "And  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  Myself, 
that  they  also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth." 
(John  xvii.  19.)  The  reader  who  could  lightly  pass 
over  so  marked  a  circumstance,  or  say  it  meant  no- 
thing, has  3~et  to  learn  to  value  aright  the  types  of 
the  Old  Testament  scriptures  —  "the  shadows  of 
good  things  to  come;"  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  one  who  admits  that  it  does  mean  something, 
but  yet  refuses  to  inquire  and  understand  what  that 
something  is,  is  doing  serious  damage  to  his  own 
soul,  and  manifesting  but  little  interest  in  the  pre- 
cious oracles  of  God. 

"And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons, 
'Boil  the  flesh  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation ;  and  there  eat  it  with  the  bread  that 
is  in  the  basket  of  consecrations,  as  I  commanded, 
saying,  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  eat  it.  And  that 
which  remaineth  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  bread  shall 
ye  burn  with  fire.  And  ye  shall  not  go  out  of  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  in  seven 
days,  until  the  da}'s  of  your  consecration  be  at  an 
end  ;  for  seven  days  shall  He  consecrate  you.  As 
He  hath  done  this  day,  so  the  Lord  hath  commanded 
to  do,  to  make  an  atonement  for  you.  Therefore 
shall  3-6  abide  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation  day  and  night  seven  days,  and  keep 
the  charge  of  the  Lord,  that  ye  die  not ;  for  so  I  am 
commanded.'"  (Ver.  31-35.)  These  verses  furnish 
a  fine  type  of  Christ  and  His  people  feeding  together 
upon  the  results  of  accomplished  atonement.  Aaron 
and  his  sons,  having  been  anointed  together  on  the 


172  LEVITICUS. 

ground  of  the  shed  blood,  are  here  presented  to  our 
view  as  shut  in  within  the  precincts  of  the  tabernacle 
during  "seven  days."  A  striking  figure  of  the 
present  position  of  Christ  and  His  members  during 
the  entire  of  this  dispensation — shut  in  with  God, 
and  waiting  for  the  manifestation  of  the  gloiy. 
Blessed  position  !  Blessed  portion  !  Blessed  hope ! 
To  be  associated  with  Christ,  shut  in  with  God, 
waiting  for  the  day  of  glory,  and,  while  waiting  for 
the  glory,  feeding  upon  the  riches  of  divine  grace, 
in  the  power  of  holiness,  are  blessings  of  the  most 
precious  nature  —  privileges  of  the  very  highest 
order.  Oh,  for  a  capacity  to  fake  them  in,  a  heart 
to  enjoy  them,  a  deeper  sense  of  their  magnitude  ! 
May  our  hearts  be  withdrawn  from  all  that  pertains 
to  this  present  evil  world,  so  that  we  may  feed  upon 
the  contents  of  "the  basket  of  consecrations," 
which  is  our  proper  food  as  priests  in  the  sanctuary 
of  God. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  eighth  day,  that  Moses 
called  Aaron,  and  his  sons,  and  the  elders  of  Israel. 
And  he  said  unto  Aaron,  'Take'thee  a  young  calf 
for  a  sin-offering,  and  a  ram  for  a  burnt-offering, 
without  blemish,  and  offer  them  before  the  Lord. 
And  unto  the  children  of  Israel  thou  shalt  speak, 
saying,  Take  ye  a  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin-offering  ; 
and  a  calf  and  a  lamb,  both  of  the  first  year,  without 
blemish,  for  a  burnt-offering ;  also  a  bullock  and  a 
ram  for  peace-offerings,  to  sacrifice  before  the  Lord  ; 
and  a  meat-offering  mingled  with  oil ;  for  TO-DAY 

THE  LOUD  WILL  APPEAR  UNTO  YOU.'"  (Chap.  ix.   1-4.) 


CHAPTERS   VIII.  &  IX.  173 

The  ' c  seven  days ' '  being  over,  during  which  Aaron 
and  his  sons  were  shut  in  in  the  retirement  of  the  tab- 
ernacle, the  whole  congregation  is  now  introduced, 
and  the  glory  of  Jehovah  unfolds  itself.  This  gives 
great  completeness  to  the  whole  scene.  The  shadows 
of  good  things  to  come  are  here  passing  before  us, 
in  their  divine  order.  "The  "eighth  day"  is  a 
shadow  of  that  bright  millennial  morning  which  is 
about  to  dawn  upon  this  earth,  when  the  congrega- 
tion of  Israel  shall  behold  the  true  Priest  coming 
forth  from  the  sanctuary,  where  He  is  now  hidden 
from  the  e}'es  of  men,  and  with  Him  a  company  of 
priests — the  companions  of  His  retirement,  and  the 
happy  participators  of  His  manifested  glory.  In 
short,  nothing,  as  a  type  or  shadow,  could  be  more 
complete.  In  the  first  place,  Aaron  and  his  sons 
washed  with  water — a  type  of  Christ  and  His  people, 
as  viewed  in  God's  eternal  decree,  sanctified  together 
in  purpose.  (Chap.  viii.  6. )  Then  we  have  the  mode 
and  order  in  which  this  purpose  was  to  be  carried 
out.  Aaron,  in  solitude,  is  robed  and  anointed — a 
type  of  Christ  as  sanctified  and  sent  into  the  world, 
and  anointed  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  (Ver.  7-12  ;  comp. 
Lukeiii.  21,  22;  John  x.  36;  xii.  24.)  Then  we 
have  the  presentation  and  acceptance  of  the  sacrifice, 
in  virtue  of  which  Aaron  and  his  sons  w^ere  anointed 
and  sanctified  together  (ver.  14-29.) — a  t}*pe  of  the 
cross,  in  its  application  to  those  who  now  constitute 
Christ's  priestly  household,  who  are  united  to  Him, 
anointed  with  Him,  hidden  with  Him,  and  expecting 
with  Him  "the  eighth  day,"  when  He  with  them 


174  LEVITICUS. 

shall  be  manifested  in  all  the  brightness  of  that  glory 
which  belongs  to  Him  in  the  eternal  purpose  of  God. 
(John  xiv.  19  ;  Acts  ii.  33  ;  xix.  1-7 ;  Gol.  iii.  1-4.) 
Finall}',  we  have  Israel  brought  into  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  the  results  of  accomplished  atonement. 
They  are  gathered  before  the  Lord;  "and  Aaron 
lifted  up  his  hand  toward  the  people,  and  blessed 
them,  and  came  down  from  offering  of  the  sin-offer- 
ing, and  the  burnt-offering,  and  peace-offerings." 
(See  chap.  ix.  1-22.) 

What,  now,  we  may  legitimately  inquire,  remains 
to  be  done?  Simply  that  the  top-stone  should  be 
brought  forth  with  shoutings  of  victory  and  hymns 
of  praise.  "And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  into  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  came  out,  and 
blessed  the  people :  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ap- 
peared unto  all  the  people.  And  there  came  a  fire 
out  from  before  the  Lord,  and  consumed  upon  the 
altar  the  burnt-offering  and  the  fat :  which  when  all 
the  people  saw,  THEY  SHOUTED,  AND  FELL 
ON  THEIR  FACES."  (Ver.  23,  24.)  This  was 
the  shout  of  victory — the  prostration  of  worship. 
All  was  complete.  The  sacrifice,  the  robed  and 
mitred  priest,  the  priestly  family  associated  with 
their  head,  the  priestly  benediction,  the  appearance 
of  the  king  and  priest ;  iu  short,  nothing  was  lack- 
ing, and  therefore  the  divine  glory  appeared,  and 
the  whole  assembly  fell  prostrate  in  adoring  worship. 
It  is  altogether  a  truly  magnificent  scene — a  marvel- 
ously  beautiful  shadow  of  good  things  to  come. 
And  be  it  remembered,  that  all  which  is  here  shad- 


CHAPTER   X.  175 

owed  forth  will  ere  long  be  fully  actualized.  Our 
great  High-Priest  has  passed  into  the  heavens,  in 
the  full  value  and  power  of  accomplished  atonement. 
He  is  hidden  there  now,  and  with  Him  all  the  mem- 
bers of  His  priestly  family;  but  when  the  "seven 
days  "have  run  their  course,  and  "the  eighth  day" 
casts  its  beams  upon  the  earth,  then  shall  the  rem- 
nant of  Israel — a  repentant  and  an  expectant  peo- 
ple— hail,  with  a  shout  of  victory,  the  manifested 
presence  of  the  Royal  Priest;  and  in  immediate 
association  with  Him  shall  be  seen  a  company  of 
worshipers,  occupying  the  most  exalted  position. 
These  are  "the  good  things  to  come" — things, 
surely,  well  worth  waiting  -for — things  worthy  of 
God  to  give — things  in  which  He  shall  be  eternally 
glorified,  and  His  people  eternally  blessed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  page  of  human  history  has  ever  been  a  sadly 
blotted  one.  It  is  a  record  of  failure  from 
first  to  last.  Amid  all  the  delights  of  Eden,  man 
hearkened  to  the  tempter's  lie  (Gen.  iii.);  when 
preserved  from  judgment  by  the  hand  of  electing 
love,  and  introduced  into  a  restored  earth,  he  was 
guilty  of  the  sin  of  intemperance  (Gen.  ix.)  ;  when 
conducted,  by  Jehovah's  outstretched  arm,  into  the 
land  of  Canaan,  he  "forsook  the  Lord,  and  served 
Baal  and  Ashtaroth"  (Judges  ii.  13.)  ;  when  placed 
at  the  very  summit  of  earthly  power  and  glory,  with 
13 


1 76  LEVITICUS. 

untold  wealth  at  his  feet,  and  all  the  resources  of 
the  world  at  his  command,  he  gave  his  heart  to  the 
uncircumcised  stranger.  (1  Kings  xi.)  No  sooner 
had  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  been  promulgated 
than  it  became  needful  for  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
prophesy  concerning  "grievous  wolves,"  "apos- 
tac}*,"  and  all  manner  of  failure.  (Acts  xx.  29; 
1  Tim.  iv.  1-3;  2  Tim.  iii.  1-5;  2  Pet.  ii.  ;  Jude.) 
And,  to  crown  all,  we  have  the  prophetic  record 
of  human  apostacy  from  amid  all  the  splendors  of 
millennial  glory.  (Rev.  xx.  7-10.) 

Thus,  man  spoils  every  thing.  Place  him  in  a 
position  of  highest  dignity,  and  he  will  degrade 
himself;  endow  him  with  the  most  ample  privileges, 
and  he  will  abuse  them ;  scatter  blessings  around 
him  in  richest  profusion,  and  he  will  prove  ungrate- 
ful ;  place  him  in  the  midst  of  the  most  impressive 
institutions,  and  he  will  corrupt  them.  Such  is 
man  !  Such  is  nature  in  its  fairest  forms  and  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances ! 

Hence,  therefore,  we  are  in  a  measure  prepared 
for  the  words  with  which  our  chapter  opens — "And- 
Nadab  and  Abihu,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  took  either 
of  them  his  censer,  and  put  fire  therein,  and  put 
incense  thereon,  and  offered  strange  fire  before  the 
Lord,  which  He  commanded  them  not."  What  a 
contrast  to  the  scene  with  which  our  last  section 
closed!  There,  all  was  done  "as  the  Lord  com- 
manded," and  the  result  was,  manifested  glory; 
here,  something  is  done  "which  the  Lord  com- 
manded them  not,"  and  the  result  is,  judgment. 


CHAPTER    X.  177 

Hardly  lij\d  the  echo  of  the  shout  of  victory  died 
away  ere  the  elements  of  a  spurious  worship  were 
prepared, — hardly  had  the  divine  position  been  as- 
sumed ere  it  was  deliberately  abandoned,  through 
neglect  of  the  divine  commandment.  No  sooner 
were  those  priests  inaugurated  than  they  grievously 
failed  in  the  discharge  of  their  priestly  functions. 

And  in  what  did  their  failure  consist?  Were  they 
spurious  priests?  were  they  mere  pretenders?  By 
no  means.  They  were  genuine  sons  of  Aaron — true 
members  of  the  priestly  famity — duly  appointed 
priests.  Their  vessels  of  ministry,  and  their  priestly 
garments  too,  would  seem  to  have  been  all  right. 
What,  then,  was  their  sin?  Did  they  stain  the  cur- 
tains of  the  tabernacle  with  human  blood  ?  or  pollute 
the  sacred  precincts  with  some  crime  which  shocks 
the  moral  sense?  We  have  no  proof  of  their  having 
done  so.  Their  sin  was  this:  ''They  offered  strange 
fire  before  the  Lord,  which  He  commanded  them 
not."  Here  was  their  sin.  They  departed  in  their 
worship  from  the  plain  word  of  Jehovah,  who  had 
fully  and  plainly  instructed  them  as  to  the  mode  of 
their  worship.  We  have  already  alluded  to  the 
divine  fullness  and  sufficiency  of  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  in  reference  to  every  branch  of  priestly  serv- 
ice. There  was  no  room  left  for  man  to  introduce 
what  he  might  deem  desirable  or  expedient.  "This 
is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded"  was 
quite  sufficient.  It  made  all  very  plain  and  very 
simple.  Nothing  was  needed  on  man's  part  save  a 
spirit  of  implicit  obedience  to  the  divine  command. 


178  LEVITICUS. 

But  herein  they  failed.  Man  has  always  proved 
himself  ill-disposed  to  walk  in  the  narrow  path  of 
strict  adherence  to  the  plain  word  of  God.  The  b}'- 
path  has  ever  seemed  to  present  resistless  charms  to 
the  poor  human  heart.  "Stolen  waters  are  sweet, 
and  bread  eaten  in  secret  is  pleasant."  (Prov.  ix. 
17.)  Such  is  the  enemy's  language  ;  but  the  lowly, 
obedient  heart  knows  full  well  that  the  path  of  sub- 
jection to  the  Word  of  God  is  the  only  one  that  leads 
to  "waters"  that  are  really  "sweet,"  or  to  "bread" 
that  can  be  rightly  called  "pleasant."  Nadab  and 
Abihu  might  have  deemed  one  kind  of  "fire"  as 
good  as  another,  but  it  was  not  their  province  to 
decide  as  to  that.  They  should  have  acted  accord- 
ing to  the  word  of  the  Lord ;  but  instead  of  this, 
they  took  their  own  way  and  reaped  the  awful  fruits 
thereof.  "He  knowcth  not  that  the  dead  are  there ; 
and  that  her  guests  are  in  the  depths  of  hell." 

"And  there  went  out  fire  from  the  Lord,  and 
devoured  them,  and  they  died  before  the  Lord." 
How  deeply  solemn !  Jehovah  was  dwelling  in  the 
midst  of  His  people,  to  govern,  to  judge,  and  to 
act,  according  to  the  claims  of  His  nature.  At  the 
close  of  chapter  ix,  we  read,  "And  there  came  a 
fire  out  from  before  the  Lord,  and  consumed  upon 
the  altar  the  burnt-offering  and  the  fat."  This  was 
Jehovah's  acceptance  of  a  true  sacrifice ;  but  in 
chapter  x,  it  is  His  judgment  upon  erring  priests. 
It  is  a  double  action  of  the  same  fire.  The  burnt- 
offering  went  up  as  a  sweet  order:  the  "strange 
fire"  was  rejected  as  an  abomination.  The  Lord 


CHAPTER    X.  179 

was  glorified  in  the  former ;  but  it  would  have  been 
a  dishonor  to  accept  the  latter.  Divine  grace  ac- 
cepted and  delighted  in  that  which  was  a  type  of 
Christ's  most  precious  sacrifice:  divine  holiness 
rejected  that  which  was  the  fruit  of  man's  corrupt 
will — a  will  never  more  hideous  and  abominable 
than  when  active  in  the  things  of  God. 

"Then  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  'This  is  it  that 
the  Lord  spake,  saying,  I  will  be  sanctified  in  them 
that  come  nigh  Me,  and  before  all  the  people  I  will 
be  glorified.'  "  The  dignity  and  glory  of  the  entire 
economy  depended  upon  the  strict  maintenance  of 
Jehovah's  righteous  claims.  If  these  were  to  be 
trifled  with,  all  was  forfeited.  If  man  were  per- 
mitted to  defile  the  sanctuary  of  the  divine  presence 
by  "strange  fire,"  there  was  an  end  to  every  thing. 
Nothing  could  be  permitted  to  ascend  from  the 
priestly  censer  but  the  pure  fire,  kindled  from  off 
the  altar  of  God,  and  fed  by  the  "pure  incense 
beaten  small."  Beauteous  t^ype  of  true  saintly  wor- 
ship, of  which  the  Father  is  the  object,  Christ  the 
material,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  the  power.  Man  must 
not  be  allowed  to  introduce  his  devices  into  the 
worship  of  God.  All  his  efforts  can  only  issue  in 
the  presentation  of  "strange  fire" — unhallowed  in- 
cense— false  worship.  His  very  best  attempts  are 
an  absolute  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God. 

I  speak  not  here  of  the  honest  struggles  of  earn- 
est spirits  searching  after  peace  with  God, — of  the 
sincere  efforts  of  upright,  though  unenlightened, 
consciences  to  Attain  to  a  knowledge  of  the  forgive- 


180  LEVITICUS. 

ness  of  sins  by  works  of  law  or  the  ordinances  of 
sy mtematic  religion ;  all  such  will  doubtless  issue, 
through  the  exceeding  goodness  of  God,  in  the  clear 
light  of  a  known  and  an  enjoyed  salvation.  They 
prove  very  clearly  that  peace  is  earnestly  sought ; 
though,  at  the  same  time,  they  prove  just  as  clearly 
that  peace  has  not  yet  been  found.  There  never 
yet  was  one  who  honestly  followed  the  faintest  glim- 
merings of  light  which  fell  upon  his  understanding 
who  did  not,  in  due  time,  receive  more.  "To  him 
that  hath  shall  more  be  given."  And  again,  "The 
path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  which  shin- 
eth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  clay." 

All  this  is  as  plain  as  it  is  encouraging ;  but  it 
leaves  wholly  untouched  the  question  of  the  human 
will,  and  its  impious  workings  in  connection  with 
the  service  and  worship  of  God.  All  such  work- 
ings must  inevitably  call  down,  sooner  or  later,  the 
solemn  judgment  of  a  righteous  God,  who  cannot 
suffer  His  claims  to  be  trifled  with.  "I  will  be 
sanctified  in  them  that  come  nigh  Me,  and  before 
all  the  people  I  will  be  glorified."  Men  will  be 
dealt  with  according  to  their  profession.  If  men 
are  honestly  seeking,  they  will  assuredly  find  ;  but 
when  men  approach  as  worshipers,  they  are  no 
longer  to  be  regarded  as  seekers,  but  as  those  who 
profess  to  have  found ;  and  then,  if  their  priestly 
censer  smokes  with  unhallowed  fire  —  if  they  offer 
unto  God  the  elements  of  a  spurious  worship — if 
they  profess  to  tread  His  courts,  unwashed,  un- 
sauctified,  unsubdued — if  they  plaqe  on  His  altar 


CHAPTER    X.  181 

the  workings  of  their  own  corrupt  will,  what  must 
be  the  result  ?  Judgment !  Yes,  sooner  or  later, 
judgment  must  come.  It  may  linger,  but  it  will 
come.  It  could  not  be  otherwise.  And  not  only 
must  judgment  come  at  last,  but  there  is,  in  every 
case,  the  immediate  rejection  on  the  part  of  Heaven 
of  all  worship  which  has  not  the  Father  for  its  object, 
Christ  for  its  material,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  for  its 
power.  God's  holiness  is  as  quick  to  reject  all 
"strange  fire"  as  His  grace  is  ready  to  accept  the 
fainfest,  feeblest  breathings  of  a  true  heart.  He 
must  pour  out  His  righteous  judgment  upon  all 
false  worship,  though  He  will  never  "quench  the 
smoking  flax  nor  break  the  bruisod  reed."  The 
thought  of  this  is  most  solemnizing,  when  one  calls 
to  mind  the  thousands  of  censers  smoking  with 
strange  lire  throughout  the  wide  domain  of  Chris- 
tendom. May  the  Lord,  in  His  rich  grace,  add  to 
the  number  of  true' worshipers,  who  worship  the 
Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  (John  iv. )  It  is  in- 
finitely happier  to  think  of  the  true  worship  ascend- 
ing from  honest  hearts  to  the  throne  of  God,  than 
to  contemplate,  even  for  a  moment,  the  spurious 
worship  on  which  the  divine  judgments  must  ere 
long  be  poured  out.  Every  one  who  knows,  through 
grace,  the  pardon  of  his  sins  through  the  atoning 
blood  of  Jesus,  can  worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and 
in  truth.  He  knows  the  proper  ground,  the  proper 
object,  the  proper  title,  the  proper  capacity  of  wor- 
ship. These  things  can  only  be  known  in  a  divine 
way.  They  do  not  belong  to  nature  or  to  earth. 


182  LEVITICUS. 

They  are  spiritual  and  heavenly.  Very  much  of 
that  which  passes  among  men  for  the  worship  of 
God  is  but  "strange  fire"  after  all.  There  is  neither 
the  pure  fire  nor  the  pure  incense,  and  therefore 
Heaven  accepts  it  not;  and  albeit  the  divine  judg- 
ment is  not  seen  to  fall  upon  those  who  present 
such  worship  as  it  fell  upon  Nadab  and  Abihu  of 
old,  this  is  only  because  "God  is  in  Christ  recon- 
ciling the  world  unto  Himself,  not  imputing  their 
trespasses  unto  them."  It  is  not  because  the  wor- 
ship is  acceptable  to  God,  but  because  God  is  gra- 
cious. The  time,  however,  is  rapidly  approaching 
when  the  strange  fire  will  be  quenched  forever — 
when  the  throne  of  God  shall  no  longer  be  insulted 
by  clouds  of  impure  incense  ascending  from  un- 
purged  worshipers — when  all  that  is  spurious  shall 
be  abolished,  and  the  whole  universe  shall  be  as 
one  vast  and  magnificent  temple,  in  which  the  one 
true  God — Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost — shall  be 
worshiped  throughout  the  everlasting  ages. 

''Grateful  incense  this,  ascending 

Ever  to  the  Father's  throne; 
Every  knee  to  Jesus  bending, 
All  the  mind  in  heaven  is  one. 

All  the  Father's  counsels  claiming 

Equal  honors  to  the  Son, 
Ail  the  Son's  effulgence  beaming 

Makes  the  Father's  glory  known. 

By  the  Spirit  all  pervading, 

Hosts  unnumbered  round  the  Lamb, 

Crowned  with  light  and  joy  unfading, 
Hail  Him  as  the  great  'I  AM.'" 


CHAPTER    X.  183 

For  this  the  redeemed  are  waiting  ;  and,  blessed 
be  God,  it  is  but  a  little  while  when  all  their  longing 
desires  shall  be  fully  met,  and  met  forever — yea, 
met  after  such  a  fashion  as  to  elicit  from  each  and 
all  the  touching  confession  of  Sheba's  queen  that 
"the  half  was  not  told  me."  May  the  Lord  hasten 
the  happy  time  ! 

We  must  now  return  to  our  solemn  chapter,  and, 
lingering  a  little  longer  over  it,  endeavor  to  gather 
up  and  bear  away  with  us  some  of  its  salutary 
teaching ;  for  truly  salutary  it  is,  in  an  age  like 
the  present,  when  there  is  so  much  ''strange  fire" 
abroad. 

There  is  something  unusually  arresting  and  im- 
pressive in  the  way  in  which  Aaron  received  the 
heavy  stroke  of  divine  judgment. — "Aaron  held  his 
peace."  It  was  a  solemn  scene.  His  two  sons 
struck  dead  at  his  side — smitten  down  by  the  fire 
of  divine  judgment.*  He  had  but  just  seen  them 

*Lest  any  reader  should  be  troubled  with  a  difficulty  in  reference 
to  the  souls  of  Nadab  and  Abihu,  I  would  say  that  no  such  question 
ought  ever  to  be  raised.  In  such  cases  as  Nadab  and  Abihu  in 
Leviticus  x,  Korah  and  his  company  in  Numbers  xvi,  the  whole 
congregation,  Joshua  and  Cable  excepted,  Avhose  carcases  fell  in 
the  wilderness  (Numb.  xiv.  and  Heb.  iii.)>  Achan  and  his  family 
(Josh,  vii.),  Ananias  and  Sapphira  (Acts  v.),  those  who  were  judged 
for  abuses  at  the  Lord's  table  (1  Cor.  xi.), — in  all  such  cases,  the 
question  of  the  soul's  salvation  is  never  raised.  We  are  simply 
called  to  see  in  them  the  solemn  actings  of  God  in  government  in 
the  midst  of  His  people.  This  relieves  the  mind  from  all  difficulty. 
Jehovah  dwelt,  of  old,  between  the  cherubim,  to  judge  His  people 
in  every  thing;  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost  dwells  now  in  the  Church, 
to  order  and  govern  according  to  the  perfection  of  His  presence. 
He  was  so  really  and  personally  present  that  Ananias  and  Sapphira 
could  lie  to  Him,  and  He  could  execute  judgment  upon  them.  It 
was  as  positive  and.  as  immediate  an  exhibition  of  llis  actings  in. 


184  LEVITICUS. 

clothed  in  their  garments  of  glory  and  beauty — 
washed,  robed,  and  anointed.  They  had  stood  with 
him  before  the  Lord  to  be  inaugurated  into  the 
priestly  office ;  they  had  offered,  in  company  with 
him,  the  appointed  sacrifices ;  they  had  seen  the 
beams  of  the  divine  glory  darting  from  the  sheki- 
nah ;  they  had  seen  the  fire  of  Jehovah  fall  upon 
the  sacrifice  and  consume  it;  they  had  heard  the 
shout  of  triumph  issuing  from  an  assembly  of  ador- 
ing worshipers ; — all  this  had  but  recently  passed 
before  him;  and  now,  alas!  his  two  sons  lie  at  his 
side  in  the  grasp  of  death.  The  fire  of  the  Lord, 
which  so  recently  fed  upon  an  acceptable  sacrifice, 
had  now  fallen  in  judgment  upon  them,  and  what 
could  he  sa}7?  Nothing.  "Aaron  held  his  peace." 
4'I  was  dumb  and  opened  not  my  mouth,  because 
Thou  didst  it."  It  was  the  hand  of  God;  and 
although  it  might,  in  the  judgment  of  flesh  and 
blood,  seem  to  be  a  very  heavy  hand,  yet  he  had 
only  to  bow  his  head  in  silent  awe  and  reverent 

acquiescence.      lt I  was  dumb because 

Thou  didst  it."  This  was  the  suited  attitude  in  the 
presence  of  the  divine  visitation.  Aaron  doubtless 


government  as  we  have  in  the  matter  of  Nadab  and  Abihu,  or 
Achan,  or  any  other. 

This  is  a  great  truth  to  get  hold  of.  God  is  not  only  for  His 
people,  but  wi£/t  them,  and  in  them.  He  is  to  be  counted  upon  for 
every  thing,  whether  it  be  great  or  small.  He  is  present  to  comfort 
and  help.  He  is  there  to  chasten  and  judge ;  He  is  there  "  for  exi- 
gence of  every  hour."  He  is  sufficient.  Let  faith  count  upon  Him. 
"  Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  My  name,  there 
am  I."  (Matt,  xviii.  20.)  And,  assuredly,  where  He  is,  we  want  no 
more. 


CHAPTER    X.  185 

felt  that  the  very  pillars  of  his  house  were  shaken 
by  the  thunder  of  divine  judgment,  and  he  could 
only  stand  in  silent  amazement  in  the  midst  of  the 
soul-subduing  scene.  A  father  bereaved  of  his  two 
sons,  and  in  such  a  manner,  and  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, was  no  ordinary  case.  It  furnished  a 
deeply  impressive  commentary  upon  the  words  of 
the  Psalmist,  "God  is  greatly  to  be  feared  in  the 
assembly  of  the  saints,  and  to  be  had  in  reverence 
of  all  them  that  are  about  Him."  (Psalm  Ixxxix.) 
"Who  would  not  fear  Thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify 
Thy  name  ?"  May  we  learn  to  walk  softly  in  the 
divine  presence — to  tread  Jehovah's  courts  with 
unshod  foot  and  reverent  spirit.  May  our  priestly 
censer  ever  bear  upon  it  the  one  material — the 
beaten  incense  of  Christ's  manifold  perfections,  and 
may  the  power  of  the  Spirit  kindle  up  the  hallowed 
flame.  All  else  is  not  only  worthless,  but  vile. 
Every  thing  that  springs  from  nature's  energ}', 
every  thing  produced  by  the  actings  of  the  human 
will — the  most  fragrant  incense  of  man's  devising — 
the  most  intense  ardor  of  natural  devotion,  will  all 
issue  in  "strange  fire,"  and  evoke  the  solemn  judg- 
ment of  the  Lord  God  Almighty.  Oh  for  a  thor- 
oughly truthful  heart  and  worshiping  spirit,  in  the 
presence  of  our  God  and  Father,  continually  ! 

But  let  not  any  upright,  though  timid,  heart  be 
discouraged  or  alarmed.  It  is  too  often  the  case 
that  those  who  really  ought  to  be  alarmed  take  no 
heed,  while  those  for  whom  the  Spirit  of  grace 
would  only  design  a  word  of  comfort  and  encour- 


186  LEVITICUS. 

agement  apply  to  themselves  in  a  wrong  way  the 
startling  warnings  of  holy  Scripture.  No  doubt, 
the  meek  and  contrite  heart  that  trembles  at  the 
word  of  the  Lord  is  in  a  safe  condition  ;  but  then 
we  should  remember  that  a  father  warns  his  child, 
not  because  he  does  not  regard  him  as  his  child, 
but  because  he  does,  and  one  of  the  happiest  proofs 
of  the  relationship  is  the  disposition  to  receive  and 
profit  by  the  warning.  The  parental  voice,  even 
though  its  tone  be  that  of  solemn  admonition,  will 
reach  the  child's  heart,  but  certainly  not  to  raise  in 
that  heart  a  question  as  to  its  relationship  with  the 
one  who  speaks.  If  a  son  were  to  question  his  son- 
ship  whenever  his  father  warns,  it  would  be  a  poor 
affair  indeed.  The  judgment  which  had  just  fallen 
upon  Aaron's  house  did  not  make  him  doubt  that 
he  was  really  a  priest ;  it  merely  had  the  effect  of 
teaching  him  how  to  conduct  himself  in  that  high 
and  holy  position. 

"And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  and  unto  Eleazar 
and  unto  Ithamar,  his  sons,  'Uncover  not  your 
heads,  neither  rend  your  clothes ;  lest  }~e  die,  and 
lest  wrath  come  upon  all  the  people:  but  let  your 
brethren,  the  whole  house  of  Israel,  bewail  the 
burning  which  the  Lord  hath  kindled.  And  ye  shall 
not  go  out  from  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  lest  ye  die  ;  for  the  anointing  oil  of 
the  Lord  is  upon  you.'  And  they  did  according  to 
the  word  of  Mos'es." 

Aaron,  Eleazar,  and  Ithamar  were  to  remain  un- 
moved in  their  elevated  place — their  holy  dignity 


CHAPTER    X.  187 

— their  position  of  priestly  sanctity.  Neither  the 
failure  nor  yet  the  judgment  consequent  thereon 
was  to  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  those  who  wore 
the  priestly  robes  and  were  anointed  with  "the  oil 
of  the  Lord."  That  holy  oil  had  placed  them  in  a 
sacred  inclosnre,  where  the  influences  of  sin,  of 
death,  and  of  judgment  could  not  reach  them. 
Those  who  were  outside,  who  were  at  a  distance 
from  the  sanctuar}7,  who  were  not  in  the  position  of 
priests,  they  might  "bewail  the  burning;"  but  as 
for  Aaron  and  his  sons,  they  were  to  go  on  in  the 
discharge  of  their  hallowed  functions  as  though  no- 
thing had  happened.  Priests  in  the  sanctuary  were 
not  to  bewail,  but  to  worship — they  were  not  to 
weep,  as  in  the  presence  of  death,  but  to  bow  their 
anointed  heads  in  the  presence  of  the  divine  visita- 
tion. "The  fire  of  the  Lord  "  might  act,  and  do  its 
solemn  work  of  judgment;  but  to  a  priest  it  mat- 
tered not  what  that  "fire"  had  come  to  do — whether 
to  express  the  divine  approval  by  consuming  a  sac- 
rifice, or  the  divine  displeasure  by  consuming  the 
offerers  of  "strange  fire" — he  had  but  to  worship. 
That  "fire"  was  a  well-known  manifestation  of  the 
divine  presence  in  Israel  of  old,  and  whether  it 
acted  in  "mercy  or  in  judgment,"  the  business  of 
all  true  priests  was  to  worship.  "I  will  sing  of 
mercy  and  of  judgment;  unto  Thee,  O  Lord,  will 
I  sing." 

There  is  a  deep  and  holy  lesson  for  the  soul  in  all 
this.  Those  who  are  brought  nigh  to  God,  in  the 
power  of  the  blood,  and  by  the  anointing  of  the 


188  LEVITICUS. 

Holy  Ghost,  must  move  in  a  sphere  beyond  the 
range  of  nature's  influences.  Priestly  nearness  to 
God  gives  the  soul  such  an  insight  into  all  His 
ways,  such  a  sense  of  the  rightness  of  all  His  dis- 
pensations, that  one  is  enabled  to  worship  in  His 
presence,  even  though  the  stroke  of  His  hand  has 
removed  from  us  the  object  of  tender  affection.  It 
may  be  asked,  Are  we  to  be  Stoics  ?  I  ask,  Were 
Aaron  and  his  sons  Stoics  ?  Nay,  they  were  priests. 
Did  they  not  feel  as  men?  Yes  ;  but  they  worshiped 
as  priests.  This  is  profound.  It  opens  up  a  region 
of  thought,  feeling,  and  experience  in  which  nature 
can  never  move — a  region  of  which,  with  all  its 
boasted  refinement  and  sentimentality,  nature  knows 
absolutely  nothing.  We  must  tread  the  sanctuary 
of  God  in  true  priestly  energ}*,  in  order  to  enter 
into  the  depth,  meaning,  and  power  of  such  holy 
mysteries. 

The  prophet  Ezekiel  was  called,  in  his  day,  to  sit 
down  to  this  difficult  lesson.  "Also  the  word  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  me,  sa}Ting,  'Son  of  man,  behold, 
I  take  away  from  thee  the  desire  of  thine  e}'es  with 
a  stroke :  }Tet  neither  shalt.  thou  mourn  nor  weep, 
neither  shall  thy  tears  run  down.  Forbear  to  cry, 
make  no  mourning  for  the  dead,  bind  the  tire  of 
thine  head  upon  thee,  and  put  on  thy  shoes  upon  thy 
feet,  and  cover  not  thy  lips,  and  eat  not  the  bread 
of  men.'  ....  And  I  did  in  the  morning  as  I 
was  commanded."  (Ez.  xxiv.  16-18.)  It  will  be 
said  that  all  this  was  as  "a  sign"  to  Israel.  True  ; 
but  it  proves  that  in  prophetic  testimony,  as  well 


CHAPTER    X.  189 

as  in  priestly  worship,  we  must  rise  superior  to  all 
the  claims  and  influences  of  nature  and  of  earth. 
Aaron's  sons  and  Ezekiel's  wife  were  cut  down  with 
a  stroke,  and  yet  neither  the  priest  nor  the  prophet 
was  to  uncover  his  head  or  shed  a  tear. 

Oh,  my  reader,  how  far  have  you  and  I  progressed 
•in  this  profound  lesson  ?  No  doubt  both  reader  and 
writer  have  to  make  the  same  humiliating  confes- 
sion. Too  often,  alas  !  we  "walk  as  men"  and  "eat 
the  bread  of  men" — too  often  are  we  robbed  of  our 
high  priestly  privileges  by  the  workings  of  nature 
and  the  influences  of  earth.  These  things  must  be 
watched  against.  Nothing  save  realized  priestly 
nearness  to  God  can  ever  preserve  the  heart  from 
the  power  of  evil  or  maintain  its  spiritual  tone.  All 
believers  are  priests  unto  God,  and  nothing  can  pos- 
sibly deprive  them  of  their  position  as  such ;  but 
though  they  cannot  lose  their  position,  they  may 
grievously  fail  in  the  discharge  of  their  functions. 
These  things  are  not  sufficiently  distinguished. 
Some  there  are  who,  while  looking  at  the  precious 
truth  of  the  believer's  security,  forget  the  possi- 
bility of  his  failing  in  the  discharge  of  his  priestly 
functions :  others,  on  the  contrary,  looking  at  the 
failure,  venture  to  call  in  question  the  security. 

Now,  I  desire  that  my  reader  should  keep  clear 
of  both  the  above  errors.  He  should  be  fully  estab- 
lished in  the  divine  doctrine  of  the  eternal  security 
of  every  member  of  the  true  priestly  house  ;  but  he 
should  also  bear  in  mind  the  possibility  of  failure, 
and  the  constant  need  of  watchfulness  and  prayer, 


190  LEVITICUS. 

lest  he  should  fail.  May  all  those  who  have  been 
brought  to  know  the  hallowed  elevation  of  priests 
unto  God  be  preserved,  by  His  heavenly  grace,  from 
every  species  of  failure,  whether  it  be  personal  de- 
filement or  the  presentation  of  any  of  the  varied 
forms  of  "strange  fire,"  which  abound  so  in  the 
professing  church. 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  saying,  'Do 
not  drink  wine  nor  strong  drink,  thou,  nor  thy  sons 
with  thee,  when  ye  go  into  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  lest  3-6  die:  it  shall  be  a  statute  for- 
ever throughout  your  generations :  and  that  3*6  may 
put  difference  between  holy  and  unholy,  and  be- 
tween unclean  and  clean  ;  and  that  ye  may  teach 
the  children  of  Israel  all  the  statutes  which  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  unto  them  by  the  hand  of  Moses." 
(Ver.  8-11.) 

The  effect  of  wine  is  to  excite  nature,  and  all 
natural  excitement  hinders  that  calm,  well-balanced 
condition  of  soul  which  is  essential  to  the  proper 
discharge  of  the  priestly  office.  So  far  from  using 
any  means  to  excite  nature,  we  should  treat  it  as  a 
thing  having  no  existence.  Thus  only  shall  we  be 
in  a  moral  condition  to  serve  in  the  sanctuary,  to 
form  a  dispassionate  judgment  between  clean  and 
unclean,  and  to  expound  and  communicate  the  mind 
of  God.  It  devolves  upon  each  one  to  judge  for 
himself  what,  in  his  special  case,  would  act  as 
"wine  or  strong  drink."*  The  things  which  excite 

*  Some  have  thought  that,  owing  to  the  special  place  which  this 
direction  about  wine  occupies,  Nadab  and  Abihu  must  have  been 


CHAPTER    X.  191 

mere  nature  are  manifold  indeed — wealth,  ambition, 
politics,  the  varied  objects  of  emulation  around  us 
in  the  world.  All  these  things  act  with  exciting 
power  upon  nature,  and  entirely  unfit  us  for  every 
department  of  priestly  service.  If  the  heart  be 
swollen  with  feelings  of  pride,  covetousness,  or  em- 
ulation, it  is  utterly  impossible  that  the  pure  air  of 
the  sanctuary  can  be  enjoyed,  or  the  sacred  func- 
tions of  priestly  ministry  discharged.  Men  speak 
of  the  versatility  of  genius,  or  a  capacity  to  turn 
quickly  from  one  thing  to  another;  but  the  most 
versatile  genius  that  wras  ever  possessed  could  not 
enable  a  man  to  pass  from  an  unhallowed  arena  of 
literaiy,  commercial,  or  political  competition,  into 
the  holy  retirement  of  the  sanctuary  of  the  divine 
presence  ;  nor  could  it  ever  adjust  the  eye  that  had 
become  dimmed  by  the  influence  of  such  scenes,  so 
as  to  enable  it  to  discern,  with  priestly  accurac}^, 
the  difference  "between  holy  and  unholy,  and  be- 
under  the  influence  of  strong  drink  when  they  oUcrcd  Ihe  "  strange 
fire."  But  be  this  as  it  may,  we  have  to  be  thankful  for  a  most 
valuable  principle  in  reference  to  our  conduct  as  spiritual  priests. 
We  are  to  refrain  from  every  thing  which  would  produce  the  same 
effect  upon  our  spiritual  man  as  strong  drink  produces  upon  the 
physical  man. 

It  needs  hardly  to  be  remarked  that  the  Christian  should  be  most 
jealous  over  himself  as  to  the  use  of  wine  or  strong  drink.  Timothy, 
as  we  know,  needed  an  apostolic  recommendation  to  induce  him 
even  to  touch  it  for  his  health's  sake.  (1  Tim.  v.)  A  beauteous 
proof  of  Timothy's  habitual  self-denial,  and  of  the  thoughtful  love 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  apostle.  I  must  confess  that  one's  moral  sense 
is  offended  by  seeing  Christians  making  use  of  strong  drink  in 
cases  where  it  is  very  manifestly  not  medicinal.  I  rarely,  if  ever, 
see  a  spiritual  person  indulge  in  such  a  thing.  One  trembles  to  see 
a  Christian  the  mere  slave  of  a  habit,  whatever  that  habit  may  be. 
It  proves  that  he  is  not  keeping  his  body  in  subjection. 
14 


192  LEVITICUS. 

tween  unclean  and  clean."  No,  my  reader,  God's 
priests  must  keep  themselves  apart  from  "wine  and 
strong  drink."  Theirs  is  a  path  of  holy  separation 
and  abstraction.  They  are  to  be  raised  far  above 
the  influence  of  earthly  joy  as  well  as  earthly  sorrow. 
If  they  have  aught  to  do  with  "strong  wine,"  it  is 
only  that  it  may  ube  poured  unto  the  Lord  for  a 
drink-offering,  in  the  holy  place."  (Numb,  xxviii.  7.) 
In  other  words,  the  joy  of  God's  priests  is  not  the 
joy  of  earth,  but  the  joy  of  heaven — the  joy  of  the 
sanctuary.  i  i  The  joy  of  the  Lord  is  their  strength. ' ' 
Would  that  all  this  holy  instruction  were  more 
deeply  pondered  by  us !  We  surely  stand  much  in 
need  of  it.  If  our  priestly  responsibilities  are  not 
duly  attended  to,  all  must  be  deranged.  When  we 
contemplate  the  camp  of  Israel,  we  may  observe 
three  circles,  and  the  innermost  of  these  circles  had 
its  centre  in  the  sanctuary.  There  was  first  the 
circle  of  men  of  war  (Numb,  i,  ii.)  ;  then  the  circle 
of  Levites  round  about  the  tabernacle  (Numb,  iii, 
iv.);  and  lastly,  the  innermost  circle  of  priests, 
ministering  in  the  holy  place.  Now,  let  it  be  re- 
membered that  the  believer  is  called  to  move  in  all 
those  circles.  He  enters  into  conflict,  as  a  man  of 
war  (Eph.  vi.  11-17;  1  Tim.  i.  18;  vi.  12;  2  Tim. 
iv.  7.);  he  serves,  as  a  Levite,  in  the  midst  of 
his  brethren,  according  to  his  measure  and  sphere 
(Matt.  xv.  14.  15;  Luke  xix.  12,  13.);  finally,  he 
sacrifices  and  worships,  as  a  priest,  in  the  holy 
place  (Heb.  xiii.  15,  16  ;  1  Pet.  ii.  5,  9.).  The  last 
of  these  shall  endure  forever.  And,  moreover,  it  is 


CHAPTER    X.  1(J3 

as  we  are  enabled  now  to  move  aright  in  that  holy 
circle  that  all  other  relations  and  responsibilities  are 
rightly  discharged.  Hence,  every  thing  that  inca- 
pacitates us  for  our  priestly  functions — every  thing 
that  draws  us  off  from  the  centre  of  that  innermost 
circle,  in  which  it  is  our  privilege  to  move — every 
thing,  in  short,  that  tends  to  derange  our  priestly 
relation,  or  dim  our  priestly  vision,  must,  of  neces- 
sity, unfit  us  for  the  service  which  we  are  called  to 
render,  and  for  the  warfare  which  we  are  called  to 
wage. 

These  are  weighty  considerations.  Let  us  dwell 
upon  them.  The  heart  must  be  kept  right,  the  con- 
science pure,  the  eye  single,  the  spiritual  vision 
undimmed.  The  soul's  business  in  the  holy  place 
must  be  faithfully  and  diligently  attended  to,  else 
we  shall  go  all  wrong.  Private  communion  with 
God  must  be  kept  up,  else  we  shall  be  fruitless  as 
servants,  and  defeated  as  men  of  war.  It  is  vain 
for  us  to  bustle  about,  and  run  hither  and  thither  ia 
wrhat  we  call  service,  or  indulge  in  vapid  words  about 
Christian  armor  and  Christian  warfare.  If  we  are  not 
keeping  our  priestly  garments  unspotted,  and  if  we 
are  not  keeping  ourselves  free  from  all  that  would 
excite  nature,  we  shall  assuredly  break  down.  The 
priest  must  keep  his  heart  with  all  diligence,  else 
the  Levite  will  fail,  and  the  warrior  will  be  defeated. 

It  is,  let  me  repeat  it,  the  business  of  each  one  to 
be  fully  aware  of  what  it  is  that  to  him  proves  to  be 
"wine  and  strong  drink" — what  it  is  that  produces 
excitement — that  blunts  his  spiritual  perception,  or 


194  LEVITICUS. 

dims  his  priestly  vision.  It  may  be  an  auction-mart, 
a  cattle-show,  a  newspaper, — it  may  be  the  merest 
trifle.  But  no  matter  what  it  is,  if  it  tends  to  excite, 
it  will  disqualify  us  for  priestly  ministry  ;  and  if  we 
are  disqualified  as  priests,  we  are  unfit  for  every 
thing,  inasmuch  as  our  success  in  every  department 
and  in  every  sphere  must  ever  depend  upon  our 
cultivating  a  spirit  of  worship. 

Let  us,  then,  exercise  a  spirit  of  self-judgment — 
a  spirit  of  watchfulness  over  our  habits,  our  ways, 
and  our  associations  ;  and  when  we,  by  grace,  dis- 
cover aught  that  tends,  in  the  smallest,  degree  to 
unfit  us  for  the  elevated  exercises  of  the  sanctuary, 
let  us  put  it  away  from  us,  cost  what  it  may.  Let  us 
not  suffer  ourselves  to  be  the  slaves  of  a  habit.  Com- 
munion with  God  should  be  dearer  to  our  hearts 
than  all  beside  ;  and  just  in  proportion  as  we  prize 
that  communion,  shall  we  watch  and  pray  against 
any  thing  that  would  rob  us  of  it — every  thing  that 
would  excite,  ruffle,  or  unhinge.* 

"And  Moses  spake  unto  Aaron,  and  unto  Eleazar, 

*Some,  perhaps,  may  think  that  the  wording  of  Leviticus  x.  9 
affords  a  warrant  for  occasional  indulgence  in  those  things  which 
tend  to  excite  the  natural  mind,  inasmuch  as  it  is  said,  "Do  not 
drink  wine  nor  strong  drink  ....  when  ye  go  into  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation."  To  this  we  may  reply  that  the  sanctuary  is 
not  a  place  which  the  Christian  is  occasionally  to  visit,  but  a  place 
in  which  he  is  habitually  to  serve  and  worship.  It  is  the  sphere  in 
which  he  should  "live,  and  move,  and  have  his  being."  The  more 
we  live  in  the  presence  of  God,  the  less  can  wo  bear  to  be  out  of  it; 
and  no  one  who  knows  the  deep  joy  of  being  there  could  lightly  in- 
dulge in  aught  that  would  take  or  keep  him  thence.  There  is  not 
that  object  Avithin  the  compass  of  earth  which  would,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  a  spiritual  mind,  be  an  equivalent  for  one  hour's  fellowship 
with  God. 


CHAPTER    X.  195 

and  nnto  Ithamar,  his  sons  that  were  left,  'Take 
the  meat-offering  that  remaineth  of  the  offerings  of 
the  Lord  made  by  fire,  and  eat  it  without  leaven 
beside  the  altar;  for  it  is  most  holy:  and  ye  shall 
eat  it  in  the  holy  place,  because  it-is  thy  due,  and 
thy  sons'  due,  of  the  sacrifices  of  the  Lord  made  by 
fire  ;  for  so  I  am  commanded.'  "  (Ver.  12,  13.) 

There  are  few  things  in  which  we  are  more  prone 
to  fail  than  in  the  maintenance  of  the  divine  stand- 
ard when  human  failure  has  set  in.  Like  David, 
when  the  Lord  made  a  breach  upon  Uzzah  because 
of  his  failure  in  putting  his  hand  to  the  ark,  "he 
was  afraid  of  God  that  da}r,  saying,  '  How  shall  I 
bring  the  ark  of  God  home  to  me?'"  (1  Chron. 
xiii.  12.)  It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  bow  to  the 
divine  judgment  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  hold  fast 
the  divine  ground.  The  temptation  is  to  lower 
the  standard — to  come  down  from  the  lofty  eleva- 
tion— to  take  human  ground.  We  must  ever  care- 
fully guard  against  this  evil,  which  is  all  the  more 
dangerous  as  wearing  the  garb  of  modesty,  self- 
distrust,  and  humility.  Aaron  and  his  sons,  not- 
withstanding all  that  had  occurred,  were  to  eat  the 
meat-offering  in  the  holy  place.  They  were  to  do 
so,  not  because  all  had  gone  on  in  perfect  order, 
but  "because  it  is  thy  due,"  and  "so  I  am  com- 
manded." Though  there  had  been  failure,  yet  their 
place  was  in  the  tabernacle ;  and  those  who  were 
there  had  certain  "dues"  founded  upon  the  divine 
commandment.  Though  man  had  failed  ten  thou- 
sand times  over,  the  word  of  the  Lord  could  not 


196  LEVITICUS. 

fail ;  and  that  word  had  secured  certain  privileges 
for  all  true  priests,  which  it  was  their  place  to 
enjoy.  Were  God's  priests  to  have  nothing  to  eat 
• — no  priestly  food,  because  failure  had  set  in  ? 
Were  those  that  were  left  to  be  allowed  to  starve, 
because  Nadab  and  Abihu  had  offered  "strange 
fire"?  This  would  never  do.  God  is  faithful,  and 
J3e  can  never  allow  any  one  to  be  empty  in  His 
blessed  presence.  The  prodigal  may  wander  and 
squander  and  come  to  poverty,  but  it  must  ever 
hold  good  that  "in  my  Father's  house  is  bread 
enough  and  to  spare." 

"And  the  wave  breast  and  the  heave  shoulder 
shall  ye  eat  in  a  clean  place  ;  thou,  and  thy  sons,  and 
thy  daughters  with  thee :  for  they  be  thy  due,  and 
thy  sons'  due,  which  are  given  out  of  the  sacrifices 
of  peace-offerings  of  the  children  of  Israel  .... 
by  a  statute  forever,  as  the  Lord  hath  commanded." 
(Ver.  14,  15.)  What  strength  and  stability  we  have 
here  !  All  the  members  of  the  priestly  family, 
"daughters"  as  well  as  "sons" — all,  whatever  be 
the  measure  of  energy  or  capacit}-,  are  to  feed  upon 
"the  breast"  and  "the  shoulder" — the  affections 
and  .the  strength  of  the  true  Peace-offering,  as  raised 
from  the  dead,  and  presented,  in  resurrection,  before 
God.  This  precious  privilege  is  theirs  as  "given 
by  a  statute  forever,  as  the  Lord  hath  commanded." 
This  makes  all  "sure  and  steadfast,"  come  what 
may.  Men  may  fail  and  come  short,  strange  fire 
may  be  offered,  but  God's  priestly  family  must  never 
be  deprived  of  the  rich  and  gracious  portion  which 


CHAPTER   X.  197 

divine  love  has  provided  and  divine  faithfulness 
secured  "by  a  statute  forever." 

However,  we  must  distinguish  between  those  privi- 
leges which  belonged  to  all  the  members  of  Aaron's 
family,  "daughters"  as  well  as  "sons,"  and  those 
which  could  only  be  enjoyed  by  the  male  portion  of 
the  familv.  This  point  has  already  been  referred  to 
in  the  notes  on  the  offerings.  There  are  certain 
blessings  which  are  the  common  portion  of  all  be- 
lievers, simply  as  such ;  and  there  are  those  which 
demand  a  higher  measure  of  spiritual  attainment  and 
priestly  energy  to  apprehend  and  enjoy.  Now,  it  is 
worse  than  vain,  yea,  it  is  impious,  to  set  up  for  the 
enjoyment  of  this  higher  measure  when  we  really 
have  it  not.  It  is  one  thing  to  hold  fast  the  privi- 
leges which  are  "given"  of  God,  and  can  never  be 
taken  away,  and  quite  another  to  assume  a  measure 
of  spiritual  capacity  to  which  we  have  never  attained. 
No  doubt,  we  ought  to  desire  earnestly  the  very 
highest  measure  of  priestly  communion — the  most 
elevated  order  of  priestly  privilege  ;  but  then  desir- 
ing a  thing,  and  assuming  to  have  it,  are  very  dif- 
ferent. 

This  thought  will  throw  light  upon  the  closing 
paragraph  of  our  chapter.  "And  Moses  diligently 
sought  the  goat  of  the  sin-offering,  and,  behold,  it 
was  burnt :  and  he  was  angry  with  Eleazar  and  Ith- 
amar,  the  sons  of  Aaron  which  were  left,  saying, 
'Wherefore  have  ye  not  eaten  the  sin-offering  in  the 
holy  place,  seeing  it  is  most  hoi}7,  and  God  hath 
given  it  to  you  to  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  congrega- 


198  LEVITICUS. 

tion,  to  make  atonement  for  them  before  the  Lord  ? 
Behold,  the  blood  of  it  was  not  brought  in  within  the 
holy  place :  ye  should  indeed  have  eaten  it  in  the 
holy  place,  as  I  commanded.'  And  Aaron  said  unto 
Moses,  'Behold,  this  day  have  they  offered  their  sin- 
offering  and  their  burnt-offering  before  the  Lord ; 
and  such  things  have  befallen  me :  and  if  I  had 
eaten  the  sin-offering  to-day,  should  it  have  been 
accepted  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  ?'  And  when  Moses 
heard  that,  he  was  content." 

The  "daughters"  of  Aaron  were  not  permitted  to 
eat  of  "the  sin-offering."  This  high  privilege  be- 
longed only  to  the  "sons,"  and  it  was  a  type  of  the 
most  elevated  form  of  priestly  service.  To  eat  of 
the  sin-offering  was  the  expression  of  full  identifica- 
tion with  the  offerer,  and  this  demanded  an  amount 
of  priestly  capacity  and  energy  which  found  its  type 
in  "the  sons  of  Aaron."  On  the  occasion  before 
us,  however,  it  is  very  evident  that  Aaron  and  his 
sons  were  not  in  a  condition  to  rise  to  this  high  and 
holy  ground.  They  ought  to  have  been,  but  they 
were  not.  "Such  things  have  befallen  me,"  said 
Aaron.  This,  no  doubt,  was  to  be  deplored ;  but 
3*et,  "when  Moses  heard  that,  he  was  content."  It  is 
far  better  to  be  real  in  the  confession  of  our  failure 
and  shortcoming,  than  to  put  forth  pretensions  to 
spiritual  power  which  are  wholly  without  foundation. 

Thus,  then,  the  tenth  chapter  of  the  book  of 
Leviticus  opens  with  positive  sin  and  closes  with 
negative  failure.  Nadab  and  Abihu  offered  ' '  strange 
fire,"  and  Eleazar  and  Ithamar  were  unable  to  eat 


CHAPTER    X.  199 

the  sin-offering.  The  former  was  met  by  divine 
judgment;  the  latter,  by  divine  forbearance.  There 
could  be  no  allowance  for  "strange  fire."  It  was 
positively  flying  in  the  face  of  God's  plain  com- 
mandment. There  is  obviously  a  wide  difference 
between  a  deliberate  rejection  of  a  plain  command 
and  mere  inability  to  rise  to  the  height  of  a  divine 
privilege.  The  former  is  open  dishonor  done  to 
God ;  the  latter  is  a  forfeiture  of  one's  own  bless- 
ing. There  should  be  neither  the  one  nor  the  other, 
but  the  difference  between  the  two  is  easily  traced. 
May  the  Lord,  in  His  infinite  grace,  ever  keep  us 
abiding  in  the  secret  retirement  of  His  holy  pres- 
ence, abiding  in  His  love,  and  feeding  upon  His 
truth.  Thus  shall  we  be  preserved  from  "strange 
fire"  and  "strong  drink" — from  false  worship  of 
every  kind  and  fleshly  excitement  in  all  its  forms. 
Thus,  too,  shall  we  be  enabled  to  carry  ourselves 
aright  in  every  department  of  priestly  ministration, 
and  to  enjoy- all  the  privileges  of  our  priestly  posi- 
tion. The  communion  of  a  Christian  is  like  a  sen- 
sitive plant.  It  is  easily  hurt  by  the  rude  influences 
of  an  evil  world.  It  will  expand  beneath  the  genial 
action  of  the  air  of  heaven,  but  must  firmly  shut 
itself  up  from  the  chilling  breath  of  time  and  sense. 
Let  us  remember  these  things,  and  ever  seek  to  keep 
close  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  divine  pres- 
ence. There,  all  is  pure,  safe,  and  happy. 

Far  from  a  world  of  grief  and  sin, 

With  God  eternally  shut  in. 


CHAPTER  XL 

FT1HE  book  of  Leviticus  may  be  termed  "The 
Priest's  Guide-book."  This  is  very  much  its 
character.  It  is  full  of  principles  for  the  guidance 
of  such  as  desire  to  live  in  the  enjoyment  of  priestly 
nearness  to  God.  Had  Israel  gone  on  with  Jehovah 
according  to  the  grace  in  which  He  had  brought 
them  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  they  should  have 
been  to  Him  "a  kingdom  of  priests  and  a  holy 
nation."  (Ex.  xix.  6.)  This,  however,  they  failed 
to  do.  They  put  themselves  at  a  distance  ;  they  got 
under  law  and  failed  to  keep  it.  Hence,  Jehovah 
had  to  take  up  a  certain  tribe,  and  from  that  tribe  a 
certain  family,  and  from  that  family  a  certain  man, 
and  to  him  and  to  his  house  was  granted  the  high 
privilege  of  drawing  nigh  as  priests  unto  God. 

Now,  the  privileges  of  such  a  position  were  im- 
mense ;  but  it  had  its  heavy  responsibilities  likewise. 
There  would  be  the  ever-recurring  demand  for  the 
exercise  of  a  discerning  mind.  "The  priest's  lips 
should  keep  knowledge,  and  they  should  seek  the 
law  at  his  mouth ;  for  he  is  the  messenger  of  the 
Lord  of  hosts."  (Mai.  ii.  7.)  The  priest  was  not 
only  to  bear  the  judgment  of  the  congregation  be- 
fore the  Lord,  but  also  to  expound  the  ordinances 
of  the  Lord  to  the  congregation.  He  was  to  be  the 
ever-ready  medium  of  communication  between  Je- 
hovah and  the  assembly.  He  was  not  merely  to 


CHAPTER    XI.  201 

know  the  mind  of  God  for  himself,  but  be  able  also 
to  interpret  that  mind  to  the  people.  All  this  would 
demand,  of  necessity,  constant  watching,  constant 
waiting,  constant  hanging  over  the  page  of  inspira- 
tion, that  he  might  drink  in,  to  his  very  soul,  all  the 
precepts,  the  judgments,  the  statutes,  the  laws,  the 
commandments,  and  the  ordinances  of  the  God  of 
Israel,  so  as  to  be  able  to  instruct  the  congregation 
in  reference  to  "  those  things  which  ought  to  be 
done. 

There  was  no  room  left  for  the  play  of  fane}7,  the 
working  of  imagination,  the  introduction  of  man's 
plausible  inferences,  or  the  cunning  devices  of  hu- 
man expediency.  Every  thing  was  laid  down  with 
th<5  divine  precision  and  commanding  authorit}*  of  a 
"Thus  saith  the  Lord."  Minute  and  elaborate  as 
was  the  detail  of  sacrifices,  rites,  and  ceremonies, 
nothing  was  left  for  man's  brain  to  originate.  He 
was  not  even  permitted  to  decide  upon  the  kind  of 
sacrifice  to  be  offered  upon  any  given  occasion, 
nor  yet  as  to  the  mode  in  which  such  sacrifice  was 
to  be  presented.  Jehovah  took  care  of  every  thing. 
Neither  the  congregation  nor  the  priest  had  any 
authority  whatsoever  to  decree,  enact,  or  suggest 
so  much  as  a  single  item  throughout  all  the  vast 
array  of  ordinances  in  the  Mosaic  econom}7.  The 
word  of  the  Lord  settled  all:  man  had  only  to  obey. 

This,  to  an  obedient  heart,  was  nothing  short  of 
an  unspeakable  mercy.  It  is  quite  impossible  to 
overestimate  the  privilege  of  being  permitted  to  be- 
take one's  self  to  the  oracles  of  God,  and  there  find 


202  .         LEVITICUS. 

the  most  ample  guidance  as  to  all  the  details  of  one's 
faith  and  service  day  by  day.  All  that  we  need  is  a 
broken  will,  a  mortified  mind,'  a  single  eye.  The 
divine  guide-book  is  as  full  as  we  can  possibly  de- 
sire :  we  want  no  more.  To  imagine  for  a  moment 
that  aught  is  left  for  man's  wisdom  to  supply,  must 
be  regarded  as  a  flagrant  insult  offered  to  the  sacred 
canon.  No  one  can  read  the  book  of  Leviticus  and 
not  be  struck  with  the  extraordinary  painstaking  on 
the  part  of  Israel's  God  to  furnish  His  people  with 
the  most  minute  instruction  upon  every  point  con- 
nected with  His  service  and  worship.  The  most 
cursory  reader  of  the  book  might  at  least  bear  away 
with  him  this  touching  and  interesting  lesson. 

And  truly,  if  ever  there  was  a  time  when  this  self- 
same lesson  needed  to  be  read  out  in  the  ears  of  the 
professing  church,  this  is  the  time.  On  all  hands, 
the  divine  sufficiency  of  holy  Scripture  is  called  in 
question.  In  some  cases,  this  is  openly  and  delib- 
erately done ;  in  others,  it  is  with  less  frankness 
hinted,  insinuated,  implied,  and  inferred.  The  Chris- 
tian mariner  is  told,  directly  or  indirectly,  that  the 
divine  chart  is  insufficient  for  all  the  intricate"  details 
of  his  vo}-age — that  such  changes  have  taken  place  in 
the  ocean  of  life  since  that  chart  was  made  that  in 
in  many  cases  it  is  entirely  deficient  for  the  purposes 
of  modern  navigation.  He  is  told  that  the  currents, 
tides,  coasts,  strands,  and  shores  of  that  ocean  are 
quite  different  now  from  what  they  were  some  cen- 
turies ago,  and  that,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  he 
must  have  recourse  to  the  aids  which  modern  navi- 


CHAPTER    XI.  203 

gallon  supplies,  in  order  to  make  np  for  the  defi- 
ciencies in  the  old  chart,  which  is,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  admitted  to  have  been  perfect  at  the  time  it 
was  made. 

Now,  I  earnestly  desire  that  the  Christian  reader 
should  be  able,  with  clearness  and  decision,  to  meet 
this  grievous  dishonor  done  to  the  precious  volume 
of  inspiration,  every  line  of  which  comes  to  him 
fresh  from  his  Father's  bosom,  through  the  pen  of 
God  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  desire  that  he  should  meet 
it  whether  it  comes  before  him  in  the  shape  of  a  bold 
and  blasphemous  statement  or  a  learned  and  plausi- 
ble inference.  Whatever  garb  it  wears,  it  owes  its 
origin  to  the  enemy  of  Christ,  the  enemy  of  the 
Bible,  the  enemy  of  the  soul.  If,  indeed,  the  Word 
of  God  be  not  sufficient,  then  where  are  we  ?  or 
whither  shall  we  turn  ?  To  whom  shall  we  betake 
ourselves  for  aid  if  our  Father's  book  be  in  any 
respect  defective  ?  God  says  that  His  book  can 
"furnish  us  thoroughly  to  all  good  works."  (2  Tim. 
iii.  17.)  Man  says,  No;  there  are  many  things 
about  which  the  Bible  is  silent,  which,  nevertheless, 
we  need  to  know.  Whom  am  I  to  believe  ?  God, 
or  man  ?  Our  reply  to  any  one  who  questions  the 
divine  sufficiency  of  Scripture  is  just  this:  Either 
you  are  not  a  "man  of  God,"  or  else  that  for  which 
you  want  a  warrant  is  not  "a  good  work."  This  is 
plain.  No  one  can  possibly  think  otherwise  with 
his  eye  resting  on  2  Timothy  iii.  17. 

Oh  for  a  deeper  sense  of  the  fullness,  majesty, 
and  authority  of  the  Word  of  God !  We  very  much 


204  LEVITICUS. 

need  to  be  braced  up  on  this  point.  We  want  such 
a  deep,  bold,  vigorous,  influential,  and  abiding  sense 
of  the  supreme  authority  of  the  divine  canon,  and 
of  its  absolute  completeness  for  every  age,  every 
clime,  every  position,  every  department — personal, 
social,  and  ecclesiastical,  as  shall  enable  us  to  with- 
stand every  attempt  of  the  enemy  to  depreciate  the 
value  of  that  inestimable  treasure.  May  our  hearts 
enter  more  into  the  spirit  of  those  words  of  the 
Psalmist — "Thy  Word  is  true  from  the  beginning; 
and  every  one  of  thy  righteous  judgments  endureth 
forever."  (Psalm  cxix.  160.) 

The  foregoing  train  of  thought  is  awakened  by 
the  perusal  of  the  eleventh  chapter  of  the  book  of 
Leviticus.  Therein  we  find  Jehovah  entering,  in 
most  marvelous  detail,  into  a  description  of  beasts, 
birds,  fishes,  and  reptiles,  and  furnishing  His  people 
with  various  marks  by  which  they  t were  to  know 
what  was  clean  and  what  was  unclean.  We  have 
the  summing  up  of  the  entire  contents  of  this  re- 
markable chapter  in  the  two  closing  verses. — "This 
is  the  law  of  the  beasts,  and  of  the  fowl,  and  of 
every -living  creature  that  moveth  in  the  waters,  and 
of  every  creature  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth ;  to 
make  a  difference  between  the  unclean  and  the  clean, 
and  between  the  beast  that  may  be  eaten  and  the 
beast  that  may  not  be  eaten." 

With  regard  to  beasts,  two  things  were  essential 
to  render  them  clean — they  should  chew  the  cud  and 
divide  the  hoof.  "Whatsoever  parteth  the  hoof, 
and  is  cloven-footed,  and  cheweth  the  cud  among 


CHAPTER    XI.  205 

the  beasts,  that  shall  ye  eat."  Either  of  these  marks 
would,  of  itself,  have  been  wholly  insufficient  to 
constitute  ceremonial  cleanness :  the  two  should  go 
together.  Now,  while  these  two  marks  were  quite 
sufficient  for  the  guidance  of  an  Israelite  as  to  the 
cleanness  or  unclean  ness  of  an  animal,  without  any 
reference  as  to  why  or  wherefore  such  marks  were 
given  or  what  they  meant,  yet  is  the  Christian  per- 
mitted to  inquire  into  the  spiritual  truth  wrapped 
up  in  these  ceremonial  enactments. 

What,  then,  are  we  to  learn  from  those  two  feat- 
ures in  a  clean  animal  ?  The  chewing  of  the  cud 
expresses  the  natural  process  of  "inwardly  digest- 
ing" that  which  one  eats,  while  the  divided  hoof 
sets  forth  the  character  of  one's  outward  walk. 
There  is,  as  we  know,  an  intimate  connection  be- 
tween the  two  in  the  Christian  life.  The  one  who 
feeds  upon  the  green  pastures  of  the  Word  of  God, 
and  inwardly  digests  what  he  takes  in — the  one 
who  is  enabled  to  combine  calm  meditation  with 
prayerful  study,  will,  without  doubt,  manifest  that 
character  of  outward  walk  which  is  to  the  praise  of 
Him  who  has  graciously  given  us  His  Word  to  form 
our  habits  and  govern  our  ways. 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  many  who  read  the  Bible  do 
not  digest  the  Word.  The  two  things  are  widely  dif- 
ferent. One  may  read  chapter  after  chapter,  book 
after  book,  and  not  digest  so  much  as  a  single  line. 
We  may  read  the  Bible  as  part  of  a  dull  and  profit- 
less routine,  but,  through  lack  of  the  ruminating 
powers — the  digestive  organs,  we  derive  no  profit 


206  LEVITICUS. 

•whatsoever.  This  should  be  carefully  looked  into. 
The  cattle  that  browse  on  the  green  may  teach  us  a 
wholesome  lesson.  They  first  diligently  gather  up 
the  refreshing  pasture,  and  then  calmly  lie  down  to 
chew  the  cud.  Striking  and  beautiful  picture  of  a 
Christian  feeding  upon  and  inwardly  digesting  the 
precious  contents  of  the  volume  of  inspiration ! 
Would  that  there  were  more  of  this  amongst  us  ! 
Were  we  more  accustomed  to  betake  ourselves  to 
the  Word  as  the  necessary  pasture  of  our  souls,  we 
should  assuredly  be  in  a  more  vigorous  and  healthy 
condition.  Let  us  beware  of  reading  the  Bible  as 
a  dead  form — a  cold  duty — a  piece  of  religious 
routine. 

The  same  caution  is  needful  in  reference  to  the 
public  exposition  of  the  Word.  Let  those  who  ex- 
pound Scripture  to  their  fellows  first  feed  and  digest 
for  themselves, — let  them  read  and  ruminate  in  pri- 
vate, not  merely  for  others,  but  for  themselves.  It 
is  a  poor  thing  for  a  man  to  be  continually  occupied 
in  procuring  food  for  other  people,  and  he  himself 
dying  of  starvation.  Then,  again,  let  those  who 
attend  upon  the  public  ministry  of  the  Word  see 
that  they  aix  not  doing  so  mechanically,  as  by  the 
force  of  mere  religious  habit,  but  with  an  earnest 
desire  to  "read,  mark,  learn,  and  inwardly  digest" 
what  they  hear.  Then  will  both  teachers  and  taught 
be  well-conditioned,  the  spiritual  life  nourished  and 
sustained,  and  the  true  character  of  outward  walk 
exhibited. 

But  be  it  remembered  that  the  chewing  of  the  cud 


CHAPTER    XI.  207 

must  never  be  separated  from  the  divided  hoof.  If 
one  but  partially  acquainted  with  the  priest's  guide- 
book—  unpracticed  in  the  divine  ceremonial  hap- 
pened to  see  an  animal  chewing  the  cud,  he  might 
hastily  pronounce  him  clean.  -This  would  have  been 
a  serious  error.  A  more  careful  reference  to  the 
divine  directory  would  at  once  show  that  he  must 
mark  the  animal's  walk — that  he  must  note  the  im- 
pression made  by  each  movement — that  he  must 
look  for  the  result  of  the  divided  hoof.  "Never- 
theless these  shall  3-6  not  eat  of  them  that  chew  the 
cud,  or  of  them  that  divide  the  hoof;  as  the  camel, 
because  he  cheweth  the  cud,  but  divideth  not  the 
hoof,  he  is  unclean  unto  you,"  etc.,  etc.  (Ver.  4-6.) 
In  like  manner  the  divided  hoof  was  insufficient 
if  not  accompanied  by  the  chewing  of  the  cud. — 
4 'The  swine,  though  he  divide  the  hoof  and  be 
cloven-footed,  yet  he  cheweth  not  the  cud ;  he  is 
unclean  to  3-011."  (Ver.  7.)  In  a  word,  then,  the 
two  things  were  inseparable  in  the  case  of  every 
clean  animal ;  and  as  to  the  spiritual  application,  it 
is  of  the  very  last  importance,  in  a  practical  point 
of  view.  The  inward  life  and  the  outward  walk 
must  go  together.  A  man  may  profess  to  love  and 
feed  upon — to  study  and  ruminate  over  the  Word  of 
God — the  pasture  of  the  soul ;  but  if  his  footprints 
along  the  pathway  of  life  are  not  such  as  the  Word 
requires,  he  is  not  clean.  And  on  the  other  hand, 
a  man  ma}^  seem  to  walk  with  pharisaic  blameless- 
ness  ;  but  if  his  walk  be  not  the  result  of  the  hidden 
life,  it  is  worse  than  worthless.  There  must  be  the 
15 


208  LEVITICUS. 

\ 

divine  principle  within,  which  feeds  upon  and  digests 
the  rich  pasture  of  God's  Word,  else  the  impression 
of  the  footstep  will  be  of  no  avail.  The  value  of 
each  depends  upon  its  inseparable  connection  with 
.the  other. 

We  are  here  forcibly  reminded  of  a  solemn  pas- 
sage in  the  first  epistle  of  John,  in  which  the  apostle 
furnishes  us  with  the  two  marks  whereby  we  may 
know  those  that  are  of  God. — "In  this  the  children 
of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  children  of  the  devil : 
whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  of  God, 
neither  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother.''  (1  John  iii. 
10.)  Here  we  have  the  two  grand  characteristics 
of  the  eternal  life  of  which  all  true  believers  are 
possessed,  namely,  "righteousness"  and  "love" — 
the  outward  and  the  inward.  Both  must  be  com- 
bined. Some  professing  Christians  are  all  for  love, 
so  called,  and  some  for  righteousness.  Neither  can 
exist,  in  a  divine  wa}r,  without  the  other.  If  that 
which  is  called  love  exist  without  practical  right- 
eousness, it  will,  in  reality,  be  but  a  lax,  soft,  easy- 
going habit  of  mind,  which  will  tolerate  all  manner 
of  error  and  evil ;  and  if  that  which  is  called  right- 
eousness exist  without  love,  it  will  be  a  stern,  proud, 
pharisaic,  self-sufficient  temper  of  soul,  resting  upon 
the  miserable  basis  of  personal  reputation.  But 
where  the  divine  life  is  in  energy,  there  will  ever  be 
the  inward  charity  combined  with  genuine  practical 
righteousness.  The  two  elements  are  essential  in 
the  formation  of  true  Christian  character.  There 
must  be  the  love  that  will  express  itself  in  reference 


CHAPTER    XI.  209 

to  the  very  feeblest  development  of  that  which  is  of 
God,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  holiness  that  shrinks, 
with  intense  abhorrence,  from  all  that  is  of  Satan. 

We  shall  now  pass  on  to  the  consideration  of  that 
which  the  Levitical  ceremonial  taught  with  respect 
to  "all  that  are  in  the  waters."  Here,  again,  we 
find  the  double  mark.  "These  shall  ye  eat  of  all 
that  are  in  the  waters  :  whatsoever  hath  fins  and 
scales  in  the  waters,  in  the  seas,  and  in  the  rivers, 
them  shall  ye  eat.  And  all  that  have  not  fins  and 
scales  in  the  seas,  and  in  the  rivers,  of  all  that  move 
in  the  waters,  and  of  any  living  thing  which  is  in 
the  waters,  tlie}^  shall  be  an  abomination  unto  you." 
(Ver.  9,  10.)  Two  things  were  necessary  to  render 
a  fish  ceremonially  clean,  namely,  "fins  and  scales," 
which  obviously  set 'forth  a  certain  fitness  for  the 
sphere  and  element  in  which  the  creature  had  to 
move. 

But  doubtless  there  was  more  than  this.  I  believe 
it  is  our  privilege  to  discern,  in  the  natural  proper- 
ties with  which  God  has  endowed  those  creatures 
which  move  in  the  waters,  certain  spiritual  qualities 
which  belong  to  the  Christian  life.  If  a  fish  needs 
a  "fin"  to  enable  him  to  move  through  the  water, 
and  "scales"  to  resist  the  action  thereof,  so  does 
the  believer  need  that  spiritual  capacity  which  en- 
ables him  to  move  onward  through  the  scene  with 
which  he  is  surrounded,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to 
resist  its  influence — to  prevent  its  penetrating — to 
keep  it  out.  These  are  precious  qualities.  The  fin 
and  the  scale  are  pregnant  with  meaning — full  of 


210  LEVITICUS. 

practical  instruction  to  the  Christian.  They  exhibit 
to  us,  in  ceremonial  garb,  two  things  which  we 
specially  need,  namely,  spiritual  energy  to  move 
onward  through  the  element  which  surrounds  us, 
and  the  power  to  preserve  ns  from  its  action.  The 
one  will  not  avail  without  the  other.  It  is  of  no  use 
to  possess  a  capacity  to  get  on  through  the  world  if 
we  are  not  proof  against  the  world's  influence  ;  and 
though  we  may  seem  to  be  able  to  keep  the  world 
out,  3'et  if  we  have  not  the  motive-power,  we  are 
defective.  The  "fins"  would  not  do  without  the 
"scales,"  nor  the  "scales"  without  the  "fins." 
Both  were  required,  to  render  a  fish  ceremonially 
clean ;  and  we,  in  order  to  be  properly  equipped, 
require  to  be  incased  against  the  penetrating  influ- 
ence of  an  evil  world,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  be 
furnished  with  a  capacity  to  pass  rapid!}'  on. 

The  whole  deportment  of  a  Christian  should  de- 
clare him  a  pilgrim  and  a  stranger  here.  lt  Onward" 
must  be  his  motto — ever  and  only  onward.  Let  his 
locality  and  his  circumstances  be  wrhat  they  may,  he 
is  to  have  his  e}~e  fixed  on  a  home  beyond  this  per- 
ishing, passing  world.  He  is  furnished,  by  grace, 
with  spiritual  ability  to  go  forward — to  penetrate 
energetical!}'  through  all,  and  carry  out  the  earnest 
aspirations  of  his  heaven-borji  spirit.  And  while 
thus  vigorously  pushing  his  way  onward — while 
"forcing  his  passage  to  the  skies,"  he  is  to  keep 
his  inward  man  fenced  round  about  and  fast  closed 
up  against  all  external  influences. 

Oh,  for  more  of  the  onward  bent — the  upward 


CHAPTER    XI.  211 

tendency !  for  more  holy  fixedness  of  soul  and  pro- 
found retirement  from  this  vain  world  !  We  shall 
have  reason  to  bless  the  Lord  for  our  meditations 
amid  the  ceremonial  shadows  of  the  book  of  Leviti- 
cus if  we  are  led  thereby  to  long  more  intensely 
after  those  graces  which  though  so  dimly  portrayed 
there  are  nevertheless  so  manifestly  needful  for  us. 

From  verse  13  to  verse  24  of  our  chapter,  we  have 
the  law  with  respect  to  birds.  All  of  the  carnivo- 
rous kind,  that  is,  all  that  fed  on  flesh,  were  unclean  ; 
the  omnivorous,  or  those  who  could  eat  any  thing, 
were  unclean ;  all  those  which  though  furnished 
with  power  to  soar  into  the  heavens  would  never- 
theless grovel  upon  the  earth  were  unclean.  As  to 
the  latter  class,  there  were  some  exceptional  cases 
(ver.  21,  22.)  ;  but  the  general  rule,  the  fixed  prin- 
ciple, the  standing  ordinance,  was  as  distinct  as 
possible — "All  fowls  that  creep,  going  upon  all 
fours,  shall  be  an  abomination  unto  you. "(Yer.  20.) 
All  this  is  very  simple  in  its  instruction  to  us.  Those 
fowls  that  could  feed  upon  flesh,  those  that  could 
swallow  any  thing  or  every  thing,  and  all  groveling 
fowls,  were  to  be  unclean  to  the  Israel  of  God,  be- 
cause so  pronounced  by  the  God  of  Israel ;  nor  can 
the  spiritual  mind  have  any  difficulty  in  discerning 
the  fitness  of  such  an  ordinance.  We  can  not  only 
trace  in  the  habits  of  the  above  three  classes  of  fowl 
the  just  ground  of  their  being  pronounced  unclean, 
but  we  can  also  see  in  them  the  striking  exhibition 
of  that  in  nature  which  is  to  be  strenuously  guarded 
against  by  every  true  Christian.  Such  an  one  is 


212  LEVITICUS. 

called  to  refuse  every  thing  of  a  carnal  nature. 
Moreover,  he  cannot  feed  promiscuously  upon  every 
thing  that  comes  before  him.  He  must  "try  the 
things  that  differ;"  he  must  'Hake  heed  what  he 
hears;"  he  must  exercise  a  discerning  mind,  a 
spiritual  judgment,  a  heavenly  taste.  Finally,  he 
must  use  his  wings ;  he  must  rise  on  the  pinions  of 
faith,  arid  find  his  place  in  the  celestial  sphere  to 
which  he  belongs.  In  short,  there  must  be  nothing 
groveling,  nothing  promiscuous,  nothing  unclean, 
for  the  Christian. 

As  to  "creeping  things,"  the  following  was  the 
general  rule :  "And  every  creeping  thing  that  creep- 
eth  upon  the  earth  shall  be  an  abomination  ;  it  shall 
not  be  eaten."  (Ver.  41.)  How  wonderful  to  think 
of  the  condescending  grace  of  Jehovah  !  He  could 
stoop  to  give  directions  about  a  crawling  reptile. 
He  would  not  leave  His  people  at  a  loss  as  to  the* 
most  trivial  affair.  The  priest's  guide-book  con- 
tained the  most  ample  instructions  as  to  every 
thing.  He  desired  to  keep  His  people  free  from  the 
defilement  consequent  upon  touching,  tasting,  or 
handling  aught  that  was  unclean.  They  were  not 
their  own,  and  hence  they  were  not  to  do  as  they 
pleased.  They  belonged  to  Jehovah ;  His  name 
was  called  upon  them ;  they  were  identified  with 
Him.  His  Word  was  to  be  their  grand  regulating 
standard  in  every  case.  From  it  they  were  to  learn 
the  ceremonial  status  of  beasts,  birds,  fishes,  and 
creeping  things.  They  were  not  to  think  their  own 
thoughts,  to  exercise  their  own  reasoning  powers,  or 


CHAPTER    XI.  213 

be  guided  by  their  own  imaginations  in  such  mat- 
ters. God's  Word  was  to  be  their  sole  directory. 
Other  nations  might  eat  what  they  pleased,  but 
Israel  enjoj'ed  the  high  privilege  of  eating  that  only 
which  was  pleasing  to  Jehovah. 

Nor  was  it  as  to  the  mere  matter  of  eating  aught 
that  was  unclean  that  the  people  of  God  were  so 
jealously  guarded.  Bare  contact  was  forbidden. 
(See  ver.  8,  24,  26-28,  31-41.)  It  was  impossible 
for  a  member  of  the  Israel  of  God  to  touch  that 
which  was  unclean  without  contracting  defilement. 
This  is  a  principle  largely  unfolded  both  in  the  law 
and  the  prophets. — "Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
'Ask  ye  now  the  priests  concerning  the  law,  saying, 
If  one  bear  holy  flesh  in  the  skirt  of  his  garment, 
and  with  his  skirt  do  touch  bread,  or  pottage,  or 
wine,  or  oil,  or  any  meat,  shall  it  be  holy  ?'  And  the 
priests  answered  and  said,  'No.'  Then  said  Haggai, 
'If  one  that  is  unclean  by  a  deacl  body  touch  any  of 
these,  shall  it  be  unclean  ?'  And  the  priests  an- 
swered and  said,  'It  shall  be  unclean.'"  (Hag.  ii. 
11-13.)  Jehovah  would  have  His  people  holy  in  all 
things.  They  were  neither  to  eat  nor  touch  aught 
that  was  unclean. — "Ye  shall  not  make  yourselves 
abominable  with  any  creeping  thing  that  creepeth, 
neither  shall  ye  make  yourselves  unclean  with  them, 
that  ye  should  be  denied  thereby."  Then  follows 
the  powerful  reason  for  all  this  careful  separation. — 
''''For  I  am  the  Lord  your  God:  ye  shall  therefore 
sanctify  yourselves,  and  ye  shall  be  holy  ;  for  I  am 
holy  :  neither  shall  3'e  defile  yourselves  with  any 


214  LEVITICUS. 

manner  of  creeping  thing  tbat  creepeth  upon  the 
earth.  For  I  am  the  Lord  that  bringeth  you  up 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  be  your  God :  ye  shall 
therefore  be  holy,  for  I  am  holy."  (Ver.  43-45.) 

It  is  well  to  see  that  the  personal  holiness  of  God's 
people — their  entire  separation  from  all  manner  of 
nncleanness,  flows  out  of  their  relationship  to  Him. 
It  is  not  upon  the  principle  of  "Stand  by  thyself: 
I  am  holier  than  thou  ; "  but  simply  this:  "God  is 
hoty, ' '  and  therefore  all  who  are  brought  into  asso- 
ciation with  Him  must  be  holy  likewise.  It  is  in 
every  way  worthy  of  God  that  His  people  should  be 
hoVy.  "Thy  testimonies  are  very  sure:  holiness 
becometh  Thy  house,  O  Lord,  forever."  What  else 
save  holiness  could  become  the  house  of  such  an 
One  as  Jehovah  ?  If  any  one  had  asked  an  Israelite 
of  old,  Why  do  you  shrink  so  from  that  reptile  which 
crav/ls  along  the  path  ?  He  would  have  replied,  Je- 
hovah is  holy,  and  I  belong  to  Him.  He  has  said, 
•"Touch  not."  So  also  now,  if  a  Christian  be  asked 
why  he  walks  apart  from  the  ten  thousand  things  in 
which  the  men  of  this  world  participate,  his  answer 
is  simply  to  be,  My  Father  is  holy.  This  is  the  true 
foundation  of  personal  holiness.  The  more  we  con- 
template the  divine  character,  and  enter  into  the 
power  of  our  relationship  to  God,  in  Christ,  by  the 
energy  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  holier  we  must,  of 
necessity,  be.  There  can  be  no  progress  in  the 
condition  of  holiness  into  which  the  believer  is  in- 
troduced, but  there  is  and  ought  to  be  progress  in 
the  apprehension,  experience,  and  practical  exhibi- 


CHAPTER    XI.  215 

tion  of  that  holiness.  These  things  should  never  be 
confounded.  All  believers  are  in  the  same  condi- 
tion of  holiness  or  sanctification,  but  their  practical 
measure  may  vary  to  any  conceivable  degree.  This 
is  easily  understood.  The  condition  arises  out  of 
our  being  brought  nigh  to  God  by  the  blood  of  the 
cross ;  the  practical  measure  will  depend  upon  our 
keeping  nigh  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit.  It  is  not  a 
man  setting  up  for  something  superior  in  himself — 
for  a  greater  degree  of  personal  sanctity  than  is 
ordinarily  possessed — for  being  in  any  wise  better 
than  his  neighbors.  All  such  pretensions  are  utterly 
contemptible  in  the  judgment  of  every  right-thinking 
person.  But  then,  if  God,  in  His  exceeding  grace, 
stoop  down  to  our  low  estate  and  lift  us  into  the  holy 
elevation  of  His  blessed  presence,  in  association  with 
Christ,  has  He  not  a  right  to  prescribe  what  our 
character  is  to  be  as  thus  brought  nigh?  Who  could 
think  of  calling  in  question  a  truth  so  obvious  ? 
And  further,  are  we  not  bound  to  aim  at  the  main- 
tenance of  that  character  which  He  prescribes  ? 
Are  we  to  be  accused  of  presumption  for  so  doing  ? 
Was  it  presumption  in  an  Israelite  to  refuse  to  touch 
"a  creeping  thing" ?  Nay,  it  would  have  been  pre- 
sumption of  the  most  daring  and  dangerous  charac- 
ter to  have  done  so.  True,  he  might  not  have  been 
able  to  make  an  uncircumcised  stranger  understand 
or  appreciate  the  reason  of  his  conduct ;  but  this 
was  not  his  province.  Jehovah  had  said,  "Touch 
not,"  not  because  an  Israelite  was  holier  in  himself 
than  a  stranger,  but  because  Jehovah  was  holy,  and 


21 G  LEVITICUS. 

Israel  belonged  to  Him.  It  needed  the  eye  and  the 
heart  of  a  circumcised  disciple  of  the  law  of  God, 
in  order  to  discern  what  was  clean  and  what  was 
not.  An  alien  knew  no  difference.  Thus  it  must 
ever  be.  It  is  only  Wisdom's  children  that  can 
justify  her  and  approve  her  heavenly  ways. 

Ere  turning  from  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Leviti- 
cus, my  reader  might,  with  much  spiritual  profit, 
compare  it  with  the  tenth  chapter  of  Acts,  ver.  11- 
16.  How  strange  it  must  have  appeared  to  one  who 
had,  from  his  earliest  days,  been  taught  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Mosaic  ritual,  to  see  a  vessel  descending 
from  heaven,  "  wherein  were  all  manner  of  four- 
footed  beasts  of  the  earth,  and  wild  beasts,  and 
creeping  things,  and  fowls  of  the  air;"  and  not  only 
to  see  such  a  vessel  so  filled,  but  also  to  hear  a 
voice,  saying,  "Rise,  Peter;  kill  and  eat."  How 
wonderful !  No  examination  of  hoofs  or  habits  ! 
There  was  no  need  of  this.  The  vessel  and  its  con- 
tents had  come  from  heaven.  This  was  enough.  The 
Jew  might  ensconce  himself  behind  the  narrow  in- 
closures  of  the  Jewish  ritual,  and  exclaim,  "Not  so, 
Lord  ;  for  I  have  never  eaten  anything  that  is  com- 
mon or  unclean ;  "  but  then  the  tide  of  divine  grace 
was  rising  majestically  above  all  such  inclosures, 
in  order  to  embrace,  in  its  mighty  compass,  "all 
manner"  of  objects,  and  bear  them  upward  to 
heaven,  in  the  power  and  on  the  authority  of  those 
precious  words,  "What  God  hath  cleansed,  that 
call  not  thou  common."  It  mattered  not  what  was 
in  the  vessel  if  God  had  cleansed  it.  The  Author 


CHAPTER    XI.  217 

of  the  book  of  Leviticus  was  about  to  raise  the 
thoughts  of  His  servant  above  the  barriers  which 
that  book  had  erected,  into  all  the  magnificence  of 
Heaven's  grace.  He  would  teach  him  that  true 
cleanness — the  cleanness  which  Heaven  demanded — 
was  no  longer  to  consist  in  chewing  the  cud,  divid- 
ing the  hoof,  or  any  such  ceremonial  marks,  but 
in  being  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  which 
cleanseth  from  all  sin,  and  renders  the  believer  clean 
enough  to  tread  the  sapphire  pavement  of  the  heav- 
enly courts. 

This  was  a  noble  lesson  for  a  Jew  to  learn  ;  it 
was  a  divine  lesson,  before  the  light  of  which  the 
shadows  of  the  old  economy  must  pass  away.  The 
hand  of  sovereign  grace  has  thrown  open  the  door 
of  the  kingdom,  but  not  to  admit  aught  that  is  un- 
clean. This  could  not  be.  Nothing  unclean  can 
enter  heaven.  But  then,  a  cloven  hoof  was  no 
longer  to  be  the  criterion,  but  "what  God  hath 
cleansed."  When  God  cleanses  a  man,  he  must 
needs  be  clean.  Peter  was  about  to  be  sent  to  open 
the  kingdom  to  the  Gentiles,  as  he  had  already 
opened  it  to  the  Jews,  and  his  Jewish  heart  needed 
to  be  enlarged.  He  needed  to  get  above  the  dark 
shadows  of  a  by-gone  age,  into  the  meridian  light 
that  was  shining  from  an  open  heaven,  in  virtue  of 
a  completed  sacrifice.  He  needed  to  get  out  of  the 
narrow  current  of  Jewish  prejudices,  and  be  borne 
upon  the  bosom  of  that  mighty  tide  of  grace  which 
was  about  to  roll  through  the  length  and  breadth 
of  a  lost  world.  He  had  to  learn,  too,  that  the 


218  LEVITICUS. 

standard  by  which  true  cleanness  must  be  regulated 
was  no  longer  carnal,  ceremonial,  and  earthly,  but 
spiritual,  moral,  and  heavenly.  Assuredly,  we  may 
sa}%  these  were  noble  lessons  for  the  apostle  of  the 
circumcision  to  learn  upon  the  housetop  of  Simon 
the  tanner.  They  were  eminently  calculated  to 
soften,  to  expand,  and  elevate  a  mind  which  had 
been  trained  amid  the  contracting  influences  of  the 
Jewish  system.  We  bless  the  Lord  for  these  pre- 
cious lessons.  We  bless  Him  for  the  large  and 
wealthy  place  in  which  He  has  set  us,  by  the  blood 
of  the  cross.  We  bless  Him  that  we  are  no  longer 
hemmed  round  about  by  "Touch  not  this  ;  taste  not 
that;  handle  not  the  other  thing;"  but  that  His 
Word  assures  us  that  "every  creature  of  God  is 
good,  and  nothing  to  be  refused,  if  it  be  received 
with  thanksgiving ;  for  it  is  sanctified  by  the  Word 
of  God  and  praj'er."  (1  Tim.  iv.  4,  5.) 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THIS  brief  section  reads  out  to  us,  after  its  own 
peculiar  fashion,  the  double  lesson  of  "man's 
ruin  and  God's  remed}-."  But  though  the  fashion 
is  peculiar,  the  lesson  is  most  distinct  and  impress- 
ive. It  is,  at  once,  deeply  humbling  and  divinely 
comforting.  The  effect  of  all  Scripture,  when  in- 
terpreted to  one's  own  soul  directly  by  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  is  to  lead  us  out  of  self  to  Christ. 
Wherever  we  see  our  fallen  nature,  at  whatever  stage 


CHAPTER    XII.  219 

of  its  history  we  contemplate  it — whether  in  its 
conception,  at  its  birth,  or  at  any  point  along  its 
whole  career,  from  the  womb  to  the  coffin,  it  wears 
the  double  stamp  of  infirmity  and  defilement.  This 
is  sometimes  forgotten  amid  the  glitter  and  glare, 
the  pomp  and  fashion,  the  wealth  and  splendor,  of 
human  life.  The  mind  of  man  is  fruitful  in  devices 
to  cover  his  humiliation.  In  various  ways  he  seeks 
to  ornament  and  gild,  and  put  on  an  appearance  of 
strength  and  glory,  but  it  is  all  vain.  He  has  only 
to  be  seen  as  he  enters  this  world,  a  poor  helpless 
creature,  or  as  he  passes  away  from  it,  to  take  his 
place  with  the  clod  of  the  valley,  in  order  to  have  a 
most  convincing  proof  of  the  hollowness  of  all  his 
pride,  the  vanity  of  all  his  glory.  Those  whose  path 
'through  this  world  has  been  brightened  by  what  man 
calls  glory,  have  entered  in  nakedness  and  helpless- 
ness, and  retreated  amid  disease  and  death. 

Nor  is  this  all.  It  is  not  merely  helplessness  that 
belongs  to  man — that  characterizes  him  as  he  enters 
this  life:  there  is  defilement  also.  "Behold,"  says 
the  Psalmist,  "I  was  shapen  in  iniquity,  and  in  sin 
did  my  mother  conceive  me."  (Ps.  li.  5.)  "How 
can  he  be  clean  that  is  born  of  a  woman?"  (Job 
xxv.  4.)  In  the  chapter  before  us,  we  are  taught 
that  the  conception  and  birth  of  "a  man-child" 
involved  "seven  da}-s"  of  ceremonial  defilement  to 
the  mother,  together  with  thirty-three  days  of  sep- 
aration from  the  sanctuary ;  and  these  periods  were 
doubled  in  the  case  of  "a  maid- child."  Has  this 
no  voice  ?  Can  we  not  read  herein  a  humbling 


220  LEVITICUS. 

lesson?  Does  it  not  declare  to  us,  in  language  not 
to  be  misunderstood,  that  man  is  "an  unclean  thing," 
and  that  he  needs  the  blood  of  atonement  to  cleanse 
him?  Truly  so.  Man  may  imagine  that  he  can 
work  out  a  righteousness  of  his  own,  he  may  vainly 
boast  of  the  dignity  of  human  nature,  he  may  put 
on  a  lofty  air  and  assume  a  haughty  bearing  as  he 
moves  across  the  stage  of  life  ;  but  if  he  would  just 
retire  for  a  few  moments  and  ponder  over  the  short 
section  of  our  book  which  now  lies  open  before  us, 
his  pride,  pomp,  dignity,  and  righteousness  would 
speedily  vanish,  and  instead  thereof,  he  might  find 
the  solid  basis  of  all  true  dignity,  as  well  as  the 
ground  of  divine  righteousness,  in  the  cross  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  shadow  of  this  cross  passes  before  us  in  a 
double  way  in  our  chapter ;  first,  in  the  circumcision 
of  the  "man-child,"  whereby  he  became  enrolled  as 
a  member  of  the  Israel  of  God ;  and  secondly,  in 
the  burnt-offering  and  sin-offering,  whereby  the 
mother  was  restored  from  every  defiling  influence, 
rendered  fit  once  more  to  approach  the  sanctuary 
and  to  come  in  contact  with  holy  things.  "And 
when  the  days  of  her  purifying  are  fulfilled,  for  a 
son  or  for  a  daughter,  she  shall  bring  a  lamb  of  the 
first  j'ear  for  a  burnt-offering,  and  a  young  pigeon 
or  a  turtle-dove  for  a  sin-offering,  unto  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  unto  the  priest; 
who  shall  offer  it  before  the  Lord,  and  make  an 
atonement  for  her ;  and  she  shall  be  cleansed  from 
the  issue  of  her  blood.  This  is  the  law  for  her  that 


CHAPTER   XII.  221 

hath  born  a  male  or  a  female."  (Ver.  6,  7.)  The 
death  of  Christ  in  its  two  grand  aspects  is  here  in- 
troduced to  our  thoughts  as  the  only  thing  which 
could  possibly  meet  and  perfectly  remove  the  defile- 
ment connected  with  man's  natural  birth.  The 
burnt-offering  presents  the  death  of  Christ  according 
to  the  divine  estimate  thereof;  the  sin-offering,  on 
the  other  hand,  presents  the  death  of  Christ  as 
bearing  upon  the  sinner's  need. 

uAnd  if  she  be  not  able  to  bring  a  lamb,  then  she 
shall  bring  two  turtles,  or  two  young  pigeons ;  the 
one  for  a  burnt-offering  and  the  other  for  a  sin- 
offering  ;  and  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement 
for  her,  and  she  shall  be  clean."  Nothing  but  blood- 
shedding  could  impart  cleanness.  The  cross  is  the 
only  remedy  for  man's  infirmity  and  man's  defile- 
ment. Wherever  that  glorious  work  is  apprehended, 
by  faith,  there  is  perfect  cleanness  enjoyed.  Now,  the 
apprehension  may  be  feeble,  the  faith  may  be  but 
wavering,  the  experience  may  be  shallow ;  but  let 
the  reader  remember,  for  his  soul's  joy  and  comfort, 
that  it  is  not  the  depth  of  his  experience,  the  sta- 
bility of  his  faith,  or  the  strength  of  his  apprehen- 
sion, but  the  divine  value,  the  changeless  efficacy,  of 
the  blood  of  Jesus.  This  gives  great  rest  to  the 
heart.  The  sacrifice  of  the  cross  is  the  same  to 
every  member  of  the  Israel  of  God  whatever  be  his 
status  in  the  assembly.  The  tender  cpnsiderateness 
of  our  ever-gracious  God  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the 
blood  of  a  turtle-dove  was  as  efficacious  for  the 
poor  as  the  blood  of  a  bullock  for  the  rich.  Th.e 


222  LEVITICUS. 

full  value  of  the  atoning  work  was  alike  maintained 
and  exhibited  in  each.  Had  it  not  been  so,  the 
humble  Israelite,  if  involved  in  ceremonial  defile- 
ment, might,  as  she  gazed  upon  the  well-stocked 
pastures  of  some  wealthy  neighbor,  exclaim,  Alas ! 
what  shall  I  do?  how  shall  I  be  cleansed?  how  shall 
I  get  back  to  my  place  and  privilege  in  the  assembly  ? 
I  have  neither  flock  nor  herd  :  I  am  poor  and  needy. 
But,  blessed  be  God,  the  case  of  such  an  one  was 
fully  met.  A  pigeon  or  turtle-dove  was  quite  suffi- 
cient. The  same  perfect  and  beautiful  grace  shines 
forth  in  the  case  of  the  leper  in  chapter  xiv.  of  our 
book — "And  if  lie  be  poor  and  cannot  get  so  much, 
then  he  shall  take,  etc.  ....  And  he  shall  offer 
the  one  of  the  turtle-doves,  or  of  the  young  pigeons, 
such  as  he  can  get;  even  such  as  he  is  able  to  get. 
....  This  is  the  law  of  him  in  whom  is  the  plague 
of  leprosy,  whose  hand  is  not  able  to  get  that  which 
pertaineth  to  his  cleansing."  (Ver.  21,  30-32.) 

Grace  meets  the  needy  one  just  where  he  is  and 
as  he  is.  The  atoning  blood  is  brought  within  the 
reach  of  the  very  lowest,  the  very  poorest,  the  very 
feeblest.  All  who  need  it  can  have  it.  "If  he  be 
poor ' ' — what  then  ?  Let  him  be  cast  aside  ?  Ah,  no  ; 
Israel's  God  could  never  so  deal  with  the  poor  and 
needy.  There  is  ample  provision  for  all  such  in  the 
gracious  expression,  "Such  as  he  can  get ;  even  such 
as  he  is  able  to  get."  Most  exquisite  grace!  "To 
the  poor  the  gospel  is  preached."  None  can  sa}-, 
The  blood  of  Jesus  was  beyond  me.  Each  can  be 
challenged  with  the  inquiry,  How  near  would  you 


CHAPTER   XII.  223 

have  it  brought  to  }7ou?  "I  bring  near  My  right- 
eousness." How  "near"?  So  near,  that  it  is  "to 
him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  Him  that 
justifieth  the  ungodly."  (Rom.  iv.  5.)  Again,  "The 
Word  is  nigh  thee."  How  "nigh"?  So  nigh, "that 
if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath  raised 
Him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved."  (Rom. 
x.  9.)  So  also  that  most  touching  and  beautiful 
invitation,  "Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to 
the  waters,  and  .he  that  hath  no  money."  (Is.  Iv.  1.) 

What  matchless  grace  shines  in  the  expressions, 
"To  him  that  ivorketh  not,"  and,  "He  that  hath  no 
money" !  They  are  as  like  God  as  they  are  unlike 
man.  Salvation  is  as  free  as  the  air  we  breathe.  Did 
we  create  the  air  ?  did  we  mingle  its  component 
parts?  No;  but  we  enjoy  it,  and,  by  enjoying  it, 
get  power  to  live  and  act  for  Him  who  made  it.  So 
is  it  in  the  matter  of  salvation.  We  get  it  without 
a  fraction,  without  an  effort.  We  feed  upon  the 
wealth  of  another,  we  rest  in  the  work  finished  by 
another;  and,  moreover,  it  is  by  so  feeding  and 
resting  that  we  are  enabled  to  work  for  Him  on  whose 
wealth  we  feed  and  in  whose  work  we  rest.  This  is 
a  grand  gospel  paradox,  perfectly  inexplicable  to 
legalit}',  but  beautifully  plain  to  faith.  Divine  grace 
delights  in  making  provision  for  those  who  are  "not 
able"  to  make  provision  for  themselves. 

But  there  is  another  invaluable  lesson  furnished 
by  this  twelfth  chapter  of  Leviticus.  We  not  only 
read  herein  the  grace  of  God  to  the  poor,  but,  by 
16 


224  LEVITICUS. 

comparing  its  closing-  verse  with  Luke  ii.  24,  we 
learn  the  amazing  depth  to  which  God  stooped  in 
order  to  manifest  that  grace.  The  Lord  Jesus 
Christ — God  manifest  in  the  flesh — the  pure  and 
spotless  Lamb — the  Holy  One,  who  knew  no  sin, 
was  "made  of  a  woman,'*  and  that  woman  (won- 
drous mystery!),  having  borne  in  her  womb,  and 
brought  forth,  that  pure  and  perfect,  that  holy  and 
spotless,  human  body,  -had  to  undergo  the  visual 
ceremonial,  and  accomplish  the  days  of  her  purifi- 
cation, according  to  the  law  of  Moses.  And  not 
only  do  we  read  divine  grace  in  the  fact  of  her  hav- 
ing thus  to  purify  herself,  but  also  the  mode  in  which 
this  was  accomplished. — "  And  to  offer  a  sacrifice 
according  to  that  which  is  said  in  the  law  of  the 
Lord,  a  pair  of  turtle-cloves  or  to  young  pigeons." 
From  this  simple  circumstance  we  learn  that  the 
reputed  parents  of  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus  were  so 
poor  as  to  be  obliged  to  take  advantage  of  the  gra- 
cious provision  made  for  those  whose  means  did  not 
afford  "a  lamb  for  a  burnt- offering."  What  a 
thought!  The  Lord  of  glory,  the  most  high  God, 
Possessor  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  One  to  whom 
pertained  "the  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills" — yea, 
the  wealth  of  the  universe,  appeared  in  the  world 
which  His  hands  had  made,  in  the  narrow  circum- 
stances of  humble  life.  The  Levitical  economy  had 
made  provision  for  the  poor,  and  the  mother  of  Jesus 
availed  herself  thereof.  Truly  there  is  a  profound 
lesson  in  this  for  the  human  heart.  The  Lord  Jesus 
did  not  make  His  appearance  in  this  world  in  con- 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  225 

nection  with  the  great  or  the  noble.  He  was  pre- 
eminently a  poor  man.  He  took  His  place  with  the 
poor. — "For  ye  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  that  though  He  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sakes 
He  became  poor,  that  ye  through  His  poverty  might 
be  rich."  (2  Cor.  viii.  9.) 

May  it  ever  be  our  joy  to  feed  upon  this  precious 
grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  which  we  have 
been  made  rich  for  time  and  for  eternity.  He  emp- 
tied Himself  of  all  that  love  could  give,  that  we 
might  be  filled  ;  He  stripped  Himself  that  we  might 
be  clothed  ;  He  died  that  we  might  live.  He,  in  the 
greatness  of  His  grace,  traveled  down  from  the 
height  of  divine  wealth  into  the  depth  of  human 
poverty,  in  order  that  we  might  be  raised  from  the 
dunghill  of  nature's  ruin,  to  take  our  place  amid  the 
princes  of  His  people  forever.  Oh  that  the  sense 
of  this  grace,  wrought  in  our  hearts  by  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  may  constrain  us  to  a  more  unre- 
served surrender  of  ourselves  to  Him,  to  whom  we 
owe  our  present  and  everlasting  felicity,  our  riches, 
our  life,  our  all ! 


CHAPTERS  XIII.  &  XIV. 

OF  all  the  functions  which,  according  to  the  Mo- 
saic ritual,  the  priest  had  to  discharge,  none 
demanded  more  patient  attention  or  more  strict 
adherence  to  the  divine  guide-book  than  the  dis- 
cernment and  proper  treatment  of  leprosy.  This 
fact  must  be  obvious  to  every  one  who  studies,  with 


226  LEVITICUS. 

any  measure  of  care,  the  very  extensive  and  im- 
portant section  of  our  book  at  which  we  have  now 
arrived. 

There  were  two  things  which  claimed  the  priest's 
vigilant  care,  namely,  the  purity  of  the  assembly, 
and  the  grace  which  could  not  admit  of  the  exclu- 
sion of  any  member  save  on  the  most  clearly  estab- 
lished grounds.  Holiness  could  not  permit  any  one 
to  remain  in  who  ought  to  be  out ;  and  on  the  other 
hand,  grace  would  not  have  any  one  out  who  ought 
to  be  in.  Hence,  therefore,  there  was  the  most 
urgent  need,  on  the  part  of  the  priest,  of  watchful- 
ness, calmness,  wisdom,  patience,  tenderness,  and 
enlarged  experience.  Things  might  seem  trifling 
which  in  reality  were  serious,  and  things  might  look 
like  leprosy  which  were  not  it  at  all.  The  greatest 
care  and  coolness  were  needed.  A  judgment  rashly 
formed,  a  conclusion  hastily  arrived  at,  might  in- 
volve the  most  serious  consequences,  either  as 
regards  the  assembly  or  some  individual  member 
thereof. 

•This  will  account  for  the  frequent  occurrence  of 
such  expressions  as  the  following;  namely,  "The 
priest  shall  look" — "The  priest  shall  shut  up  him 
that  hath  the  plague  seven  days" — "And  the  priest 
shall  look  on  him  the  seventh  day" — "Then  the 
priest  shall  shut  him  up  seven  days  more" — "And 
the  p'riest  shall  look  on  him  again  the  seventh  day" 
—"And  the  priest  shall  see  him" — "Then  the  priest 
shall  consider."  No  case  was  to  be  hastily  judged 
or  rashly  decided.  No  opinion  was  to  be  formed 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  227 

from  mere  hearsay.  Personal  observation,  priestly 
discernment,  calm  reflection,  strict  adherence  to  the 
written  Word — the  holy,  infallible  guide-book — all 
these  things  were  imperatively  demanded  of  the 
priest  if  he  would  form  a  sound  judgment  of  each 
case.  He  was  not  to  be  guided  by  his  own  thoughts, 
his  own  feelings,  his  own  wisdom,  in  any  thing.  He 
had  ample  guidance  in  the  Word,  if  only  he  was 
subject  thereto.  Every  point,  every  feature,  every 
movement,  every  variation,  every  shade  and  char- 
acter, every  peculiar  symptom  and  affection — all  was 
provided  for,  with  divine  fullness  and  forethought, 
so  that  the  priest  only  needed  to  be  acquainted  with 
and  subject  to  the  Word  in  all  things,  in 'order  to  be 
preserved  from  ten  thousand  mistakes. 

Thus  much  as  to  the  priest  and  his  holy  responsi- 
bilities. 

We  shall  now  consider  the  disease  of  leprosy,  as 
developed  in  a  person,  in  a  garment,  or  in  a  house. 

Looking  at  this  disease  in  a  physical  point  of  view, 
nothing  can  possibly  be  more  loathsome  ;  and  being, 
so1  far  as  man  is  concerned,  totally  incurable,  it  fur- 
nishes a  most  vivid  and  appalling  picture  of  sin — sin 
in  one's  nature,  sin  in  his  circumstances,  sin  in  an 
assembly.  What  a  lesson  for  the  soul  in  the  fact 
that  such  a  vile  and  humiliating  disease  should  be 
used  as  a  t}-pe  of  moral  evil,  whether  in  a  member 
of  God's  assembly,  in  the  circumstances  of  any  mem- 
ber, or  in  the  assembly  itself ! 

I.  And  first,  then,  as  to  leprosy  in  a  person  ;  or 
in  other  words,  the  working  of  moral  evil,  or  of  that 


228  LEVITICUS. 

which  might  seem  to  be  evil,  in  any  member  of  the 
assembly.  This  is  a  matter  of  grave  and  solemn 
import — a  matter  demanding  the  utmost  vigilance 
and  care  on  the  part  of  all  who  are  concerned  in  the 
good  of  souls  and  in  the  glory  of  God,  as  involved 
in  the  well-being  and  purity  of  His  assembly  as  a 
whole  or  of  each  individual  member  thereof. 

It  is  important  to  see  that  while  the  broad  princi- 
ples of  leprosy  and  its  cleansing  apply  in  a  secondary 
sense  to  any  sinner,  yet  in  the  scripture  now  before 
us,  the  matter  is  presented  in  connection  with  those 
who  were  God's  recognized  people.  The  person  who 
is  here  seen  as  the  subject  of  priestly  examination 
is  a  member  of  the  assembly  of  God.  It  is  well  to 
apprehend  this.  God's  assembly  must  be  kept  pure, 
because  it  is  His  dwelling-place.  No  leper  can  be 
allowed  to  remain  within  the  hallowed  precincts  of 
Jehovah's  habitation. 

But  then,  mark  the  care,  the  vigilance,  the  perfect 
patience,  inculcated  upon  the  priest,  lest  aught  that 
was  not  leprosy  might  be  treated  as  such,  or  lest 
aught  that  really  was  leprosy  might  be  suffered  fo 
escape.  Many  things  might  appear  "in  the  skin" — 
the  place  of  manifestation — "like  the  plague  of  lep- 
rosy," which,  upon  patient,  priestly  investigation, 
would  be  found  to  be  merely  superficial.  This  was 
to  be  carefully  attended  to.  Some  blemish  might 
make  its  appearance  upon  the  surface,  which,  though 
demanding  the  jealous  care  of  the  one  who  had  to 
act  for  God,  was  not,  in  reality,  defiling.  And  yet, 
that  which  seemed  but  a  superficial  blemish  might 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  229 

prove  to  be  something  deeper  than  the  skin,  some- 
thing below  the  surface,  something  affecting  the 
hidden  springs  of  the  constitution.  All  this  claimed 
the  most  intense  care  on  the  part  of  the  priest.  (See 
vei\  2-11.)  Some  slight  neglect,  some  trifling  over- 
sight, might  lead  to  disastrous  consequences.  It 
might  lead  to  the  defilement  of  the  assembly,  by  the 
presence  of  a  confirmed  leper,  or  to  the  expulsion, 
for  some  superficial  blemish,  of  a  genuine  member 
of  the  Israel  of  God. 

Now,  there  is  a  rich  fund  of  instruction  in  all  this 
for  the  people  of  God.  There  is  a  difference  between, 
personal  infirmity  and  the  positive  energy  of  evil — 
between  mere  defects  and  blemishes  in  the  outward 
character,  and  the  activity  of  sin  in  the  members. 
No  doubt  it  is  important  to  watch  against  our  in- 
firmities;  for,  if  not  watched,  judged,  and  guarded 
against,  they  may  become  the  source  of  positive 
evil.  (See  ver.  14-28.)  Every  thing  of  nature  must 
be  judged  and  kept  down.  We  must  not  make  any 
allowance  for  personal  infirmity  in  ourselves,  though 
we  should  make  ample  allowance  for  it  in  others. 
Take,  for  example,  the  matter  of  an  irritable  temper. 
I  should  judge  it  in  mj^self ;  I  should  make  allow- 
ance for  it  in  another.  It  ma}r,  like  "the  burning 
boil"  in  the  case  of  an  Israelite  (ver.  19,  20.),  prove 
the  source  of  real  defilement — the  ground  of  exclu- 
sion from  the  assembly.  Every  form  of  weakness 
must  be  watched,  lest  it  become  an  occasion  of  sin. 
"A  bald  forehead"  was  not  leprosy,  but  it  was  that 
in  which  leprosy  might  appear,  and  hence  it  had  to 


230  LEVITICUS. 

be  watched.  There  may  be  a  hundred  things  which 
are  not  in  themselves  sinful,  but  which  may  become 
the  occasion  of  sin  if  not  diligently  looked  after. 
Nor  is  it  merely  a  question  of  what,  in  our  estima- 
tion, may  be  termed  blots,  blemishes,  and  personal 
infirmities,  but  even  of  what  our  hearts  might  feel 
disposed  to  boast  of.  Wit,  humor,  vivacity  of  spirit 
and  temper — all  these  may  become  the  source  and 
centre  of  defilement.  Each  one  «has  something  to 
guard  against — something  to  keep  him  ever  upon 
the  watch-tower.  How  happy  it  is  that  we  have  a 
Father's  heart  to  come  to  and  count  on  with  respect 
to  all  such  things !  We  have  the  precious  privilege 
of  coming,  at  all  times,  into  the  presence  of  unre- 
buking,  unupbraiding  love,  there  to  tell  out  all,  and 
obtain  grace  to  help  in  all,  and  full  victory  over  all. 
We  need  not  be  discouraged  so  long  as  we  see  such 
a  motto  inscribed  on  the  door  of  our  Father's  treas- 
ury— "He  giveth  more  grace."  Precious  motto! 
It  has  no  limit:  it  is  bottomless  and  boundless. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  inquire  what  was  done 
in  every  case  in  which  the  plague  of  leprosy  was 
unquestionably  and  unmistakably  defined.  The  God 
of  Israel  could  bear  with  infirmity,  blemish,  and  fail- 
ure ;  but  the  moment  it  became  a  case  of  defilement, 
whether  in  the  head,  the  beard,  the  forehead,  or  any 
other  part,  it  could  not  be  tolerated  in  the  holy 
assembly.  "The  leper  in  whom  the  plague  is,  his 
clothes  shall  be  rent,  and  his  head  bare,  and  he  shall 
put  a  covering  upon  his  upper  lip,  and  shall  cry, 
Unclean,  unclean.  All  the  days  wherein  the  plague 


CHAPTERS   XIII.  &  XIV.  231 

shall  be  in  him  he  shall  be  defiled  ;  he  is  unclean  : 
he  shall  dwell  alone ;  without  the  camp  shall  his 
habitation  be."  (Ver.  45,  46.)  Here  was  the  leper's 
condition,  the  leper's  occupation,  the  leper's  place. 
With  rent  garments,  bare  head,  and  covered  lip ; 
crying,  "Unclean,  unclean;"  and  dwelling  outside, 
in  the  dreary  solitude — the  dismal  desert  waste. 
What  could  be  more  humiliating,  what  more  de- 
pressing, than  this  ?  "He  shall  dwell  alone."  He 
was  unfit  for  communion  or  companionship.  He 
was  excluded  from  the  only  spot  in  all  the  world  in 
which  Jehovah's  presence  was  known  or  enjo}'ed. 

Reader,  behold,  in  the  poor,  solitary  leper,  a  vivid 
type  of  one  in  whom  sin  is  working.  This  is  really 
what  it  means.  It  is  not,  as  we  shall  see  presently, 
a  helpless,  ruined,  guilty,  convicted  sinner,  whose 
guilt  and  misery  have  come  thoroughly  out,  and  who 
is,  therefore,  a  fit  subject  for  the  love  of  God  and 
the  blood  of  Christ.  No ;  we  see  in  the  excluded 
leper  one  in  whom  sin  is  actually  working — one  in 
whom  there  is  the  positive  energy  of  evil.  This  is 
what  defiles  and  shuts  out  from  the  enjoyment  of 
the  divine  presence  and  the  communion  of  saints. 
So  long  as  sin  is  working,  there  can  be  no  fellowship 
with  God  or  with  His  people.  "He  shall  dwell 
alone;  without  the  camp  shall  his  habitation  be." 
How  long  ?  "All  the  days  wherein  the  plague  shall 
be  in  him."  This  is  a  great  practical  truth.  The 
energy  of  evil  is  the  death-blow  to  communion. 
There  may  be  the  outward  appearance — the  mere 
form — the  hollow  profession,  but  communion  there 


232  LEVITICUS. 

can  be  none  so  long  as  the  energy  of  evil  is  there. 
It  matters  not  what  the  character  or  amount  of  the 
evil  may  be — if  it  were  but  the  weight  of  a  feather — 
if  it  were  but  some  foolish  thought,  so  long  as  it 
continues  to  work,  it  must  hinder  communion — it 
must  cause  a  suspension  of  fellowship.  It  is  when 
it  rises  to  a  head — when  it  comes  to  the  surface — 
when  it  is  brought  thoroughly  out  that  it  can  be 
perfectly  met  and  put  away  by  the  grace  of  God 
and  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

This  leads  us  to  a  deeply  interesting  point  in  con- 
nection with  the  leper — a  point  which  must  prove  a 
complete  paradox  to  all  save  those  who  understand 
God's  mode  of  dealing  with  sinners.  ''And  if  a 
leprosy  break  out  abroad  in  the  skin,  and  the  leprosy 
cover  all  the  skin  of  him  that  hath  the  plague,  from 
his  head  even  to  his  foot,  wheresoever  the  priest 
looketh  ;  then  the  priest  shall  consider  ;  and,  behold, 
if  the  leprosy  have  covered  all  his  flesh,  he  shall 
pronounce  him  clean  that  hath  the  plague :  it  is  all 
turned  white:  he  is  clean."  (Chap.  xiii.  12,  13.) 
The  moment  a  sinner  is  in  his  true  place  before 
God,  the  whole  question  is  settled :  directly  his  real 
character  is  fully  brought  out,  there  is  no  further 
difficulty.  He  may  have  to  pass  through  much 
painful  exercise  ere  he  reaches  this  point — exercise 
consequent  upon  his  refusal  to  take  his  true  place — 
to  bring  out  "all  the  truth"  with  respect  to  what  he 
is ;  but  the  moment  he  is  brought  to  say,  from  his 
heart,  "Just  as  /am,"  the  free  grace  of  God  flows 
down  to  him.  "When  I  kept  silence,  my  boiies 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  233 

•waxed  old  through  my  roaring  all  the  day  long. 
For  day  and  night  Thy  hand  was  heavy  upon  me: 
my  moisture  is  turned  into  the  drought  of  summer." 
(Ps.  xxxii.  3,  4.)  How  long  did  this  painful  exer- 
cise continue  ?  Until  the  whole  truth  was  brought 
out — until  all  that  which  was  working  inwardly 
came  fully  to  the  surface. — "I  acknowledged  my 
sin  unto  Thee,  and  mine  iniquity  have  I  not  hid. 
I  said,  'I  will  confess  my  transgressions  unto  the 
Lord,'  and  Thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin." 
(Ver.  5.) 

It  is  deeply  interesting  to  mark  the  progress  of 
the  Lord's  dealing  with  the  leprous  man,  from  the 
moment  that  the  suspicion  is  raised,  by  certain 
features  in  the  place  of  manifestation,  until  the 
disease  covers  the  whole  man,  "from  the  crown  of 
the  head  unto  the  sole  of  the  foot."  There  was  no 
haste  and  no  indifference.  God  ever  enters  the 
place  of  judgment  with  a  slow  and  measured  pace  ; 
but  when  He  does  enter,  He  must  act  according  to 
the  claims  of  His  nature.  He  can  patiently  investi- 
gate. He  can  wait  for  "seven  days;"  and  should 
there  be  the  slightest  variation  in  the  symptoms,  He 
can  wait  "seven  da}-s  more  ; "  but  the  moment  it  is 
found  to  be  the  positive  working  of  leprosy,  there 
can  be  no  toleration.  "Without  the  camp  shall  his 
habitation  be."  How  long  ?  Until  the  disease  comes 
fully  to  the  surface.  "If  the  leprosy  have  covered 
all  his  flesh,  he  shall  pronounce  him  clean."  This 
is  a  most  precious  and  interesting  point.  The  very 
smallest  speck  of  leprosy  was  intolerable  to  God;- 


234  LEVITICUS. 

and  yet  when  the  whole  man  was  covered,  from 
head  to  foot,  he  was  pronounced  clean — that  is,  he 
was  a  proper  subject  for  the  grace  of  God  and  the 
blood  of  atonement. 

Thus  is  it,  in  every  case,  with  the  sinner.  God  is 
"of  purer  e}*es  than  to  behold  evil,  and  cannot  look 
upon  iniquity  "  (Hab.  i.  13.);  and  j*et  the  moment 
a  sinner  takes  his  true  place,  as  one  thoroughly  lost, 
guilt}*,  and  undone — as  one  in  whom  there  is  not  so 
much  as  a  single  point  on  which  the  eye  of  Infinite 
Holiness  can  rest  with  complacenc}' — as  one  who  is 
so  bad  that  he  cannot  possibly  be  worse,  there  is  an 
immediate,  a  perfect,  a  divine  settlement  of  the 
entire  matter.  The  grace  of  God  deals  with  sinners, 
and  when  I  know  myself  to  be  a  sinner,  I  know 
myself  to  be  one  whom  Christ  came  to  save.  The 
more  clearly  any  one  can  prove  me  to  be  a  sinner, 
the  more  clearly  he  establishes  my  title  to  the  love 
of  God  and  the  work  of  Christ.  "For  Christ  also 
hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just  for  the  unjust, 
that  He  might  bring  us  to  God."  (1  Pet.  iii.  18.) 
Now,  if  I  am  "unjust,"  I  am  one  of  those  very 
people  for  whom  Christ  died,  and  I  am  entitled  to 
all  the  benefits  of  His  death.  "There  is  not  a  just 
man  upon  earth;"  and  inasmuch  as  I  am  "upon 
earth,"  it  is  plain  that  I  am  "unjust,"  and  it  is 
equally  plain  that  Christ  died  for  me — that  He  suf- 
fered for  my  sins.  Since,  therefore,  Christ  died  for 
me,  it  is  my  happy  privilege  to  enter  into  the  imme- 
diate enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  His  sacrifice.  This 
is  as  plain  as  plainness  itself.  It  demands  no  effort. 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  235 

whatsoever.  I  am  not  called  to  be  any  thing  but 
just  what  I  am.  I  am  not  called  to  feel,  to  expe- 
rience, to  realize  any  thing.  The  Word  of  God 
assures  me  that  Christ  died  for  me  just  as  I  am  ; 
and  if  He  died  for  me,  I  am  as  safe  as  He  is  Him- 
self. There  is  nothing  against  me  :  Christ  met  all. 
He  not  only  suffered  for  my  "sms,"  but  He  "made 
an  end  of  sin."  He  abolished  the  entire  system  in 
which,  as  a  child  of  the  first  Adam,  I  stood,  and  He 
has  introduced  me  into  a  new  position,  in  associa- 
tion with  Himself,  and  there  I  stand  before  God, 
free  from  all  charge  of  sin  and  all  fear  of  judgment. 

"Just  as  I  am — without  one  plea, 
But  that  Thy  blood  was  shed  for  me, 
And  that  Thou  bid'st  me  come  to  Thee, 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  ! " 

How  do  I  know  that  His  blood  was  shed  for  me  ? 
By  the  Scriptures.  Blessed,  solid,  eternal  ground 
of  knowledge  !  Christ  suffered  for  sins :  I  have 
gotten  sins.  Christ  died,  "the  just  for  the  unjust: " 
I  am  unjust.  Wherefore  the  death  of  Christ  appro- 
priates itself  to  me  as  fully,  as  immediately,  and  as 
divinely  as  though  I  were  the  only  sinner  upon  earth. 
It  is  not  a  question  of  my  appropriation,  realization, 
or  experience.  Many  souls  harass  themselves  about 
this.  How  often  has  one  heard  such  language  as 
the  following:  "Oh,  I  believe  that  Christ  died  for 
sinners,  but  I  cannot  realize  that  my  sins  are  for- 
forgiven.  I  cannot  apply,  I  cannot  appropriate,  I 
do  not  experience  the  benefit  of  Christ's  death" ! 
All  this  is  self,  and  not  Christ ;  it  is  feeling,  and  not 


236  LEVITICUS. 

Scripture.  If  we  search  from  cover  to  cover  of  the 
blessed  volume,  we  shall  not  find  a  syllable  about 
being  saved  by  realization,  experience,  or  appropri- 
ation. The  gospel  applies  itself  to  all  who  are  on 
the  ground  of  being  lost.  Christ  died  for  sinners. 
That  is  just  what  I  am  ;  wherefore  He  died  for  me. 
How  do  I  know  this  ?  is  it  because  I  feel  it  ?  By 
no  means.  How  then  ?  By  the  Word  of  God. 
"Christ  died  for  our  sins  according  to  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  He  was  buried,  and  rose  again  the  third  day 
according  to  the  Scriptures."  (1  Cor.  xv.  3,  4.) 
Thus  it  is  all  "according  to  the  Scriptures."  If  it 
were  according  to  our  feelings,  we  should  be  in  a 
deplorable  way,  for  our  feelings  are  hardly  the  same 
for  the  length  of  a  day,  but  the  Scriptures  are  ever 
the  same.  "Forever,  O  Lord,  Thy  Word  is  settled 
in  heaven." — "Thou  hast  magnified  Thy  Word 
above  all  Thy  name." 

No  doubt  it  is  a  very  happy  thing  to  realize,  to 
feel,  and  to  experience ;  but  if  we  put  these  things 
in  the  place  of  Christ,  we  shall  neither  have  them 
nor  the  Christ  that  yields  them.  If  I  am  occupied 
with  Christ,  I  shall  realize  ;  but  if  I  put  my  realiza- 
tion in  place  of  Christ,  I  shall  have  neither  the  one 
nor  the  other.  This  is  the  sad  condition  of  thou- 
sands. Instead  of  resting  on  the  stable  authority 
of  "the  Scriptures,"  they  are  ever  looking  into  their 
own  hearts,  and  hence  they  are  always  uncertain 
and,  as  a  consequence,  always  unhapp}*.  A  condi- 
tion of  doubt  is  a  condition  of  torture ;  but  how 
can  I  get  rid  of  my  doubt  ?  Simply  by  relying  oil 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  237 

the  divine  authority  of  "the  Scriptures."  Of  what 
do  the  Scriptures  testify?  Of  Christ.  (Johnv.) 
They  declare  that  Christ  died  for  our  sius,  and  that 
He  was  raised  again  for  our  justification.  (Rom.  iv.) 
This  settles  every  thing.  The  self-same  authority 
that  tells  me  I  am  unjust  tells  me  also  that  Christ 
died  for  me.  Nothing  can  be  plainer  than  this.  If 
I  were  aught  else  than  unjust,  the  death  of  Christ 
would  not  be  for  me  at  all;  but  being  unjust,  it  is 
divinely  fitted,  divinely  intended,  and  divinely  ap- 
plied to  me.  If  I  am  occupied  with  any  thing  in, 
of,  or  about  myself,  it  is  plain  I  have  not  entered 
into  the  full  spiritual  application  of  Leviticus  xiii. 
12,  13 — I  have  not  come  to  the  Lamb  of  God  "just 
as  I  am."  It  is  when  the  leper  is  covered  from  head 
to  foot  that  he  is  on  the  true  ground.  It  is  there 
and  there  alone  that  grace,  can  meet  him.  ''Then 
the  priest  shall  consider  ;  and,  behold,  if  the  leprosy 
have  covered  all  his  flesh,  he  shall  pronounce  him 
clean  that  hath  the  plague  :  it  is  all  turned  white :  he 
is  clean."  Precious  truth!  "Where  sin  abounded, 
grace  did  much  more  abound."  So  long  as  I  think 
there  is  a  single  spot  which  is  not  covered  with  the 
direful  disease,  I  have  not  come  to  the  end  of  m}'- 
self.  It  is  when  my  true  condition  is  fully  disclosed 
to  my  view  that  I  really  understand  the  meaning 
of  salvation  by  grace. 

The  force  of  all  this  will  be  more  fully  appre- 
hended when  we  come  to  consider  the  ordinances 
connected  with  the  cleansing  of  the  leper,  in  chapter 
xiv.  of  our  book.  We  shall  now  briefly  enter  upon 


238  LEVITICUS. 

the  qu'estion  of  leprosy  in  a  garment,  as  presented 
in  chapter  xiii.  47-59. 

II.  The  garment  or  skin  suggests  to  the  mind  the 
idea  of  a  man's  circumstances  or  habits.  This  is  a 
deeply  practical  point.  We  are  to  watch  against 
the  working  of  evil  in  our  ways  just  as  carefully  as 
against  evil  in  ourselves.  The  same  patient  investi- 
gation is  observable  with  respect  to  a  garment  as  in 
the  case  of  a  person.  There  is  no  haste,  neither  is 
there  any  indifference. — "The  priest  shall  look  upon 
the  plague,  and  shut  up  it  that  hath  the  plague  seven 
da}'s."  There  must  be  no  indifference,  no  indo- 
lence, no  carelessness.  Evil  may  creep  into  our 
habits  and  circumstances  in  numberless  ways,  and 
hence  the  moment  we  perceive  aught  of  a  suspicious 
nature,  it  must  be  submitted  to  a  calm,  patient  pro- 
cess of  priestly  investigation.  It  must  be  "shut  up 
seven  days,"  in  order  that  it  may  have  full  time  to 
develop  itself  perfectly. 

"And  he  shall  look  on  the  plague  on  the  seventh 
clay :  if  the  plague  be  spread  in  the  garment,  either 
in  the  warp,  or  in  the  woof,  or  in  a  skin,  or  in  any 
work  that  is  made  of  skin,  the  plague  is  a  fretting 
leprosy ;  it  is  unclean.  He  shall  therefore  burn  that 
garment."  The  wrong  habit  must  be  given  up  the 
moment  I  discover  it.  If  I  find  n^self  in  a  thor- 
oughly wrong  position,  I  must  abandon  it.  The 
burning  of  the  garment  expresses  the  act  of  judg- 
ment upon  evil,  whether  in  a  man's  habits  or  cir- 
cumstances. There  must  be  no  trifling  with  evil. 
In  certain  cases  the  garment  was  to  be  "washed," 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  239 

which  expresses  the  action  of  the  Word  of  God  upon 
a  man's  habits.  "Then  the  priest  shall  command 
that  they  wash  the  thing  wherein  the  plague  is,  and 
he  shall  shut  it  up  seven  clays  more."  There  is  to 
be  patient  waiting,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  effect  of 
the  Word.  ' k  And  the  priest  shall  look  on  the  plague, 
after  that  it  is  washed ;  and,  behold,  if  the  plague 
have  not  changed,  ....  thou  shalt  burn  it  in 
the  fire.  When  there  is  any  thing  radically  and 
irremediably  bad  in  one's  position  or  habits,  the 
whole  thing  is  to  be  given  up.  "And  if  the  priest 
look,  and,  behold,  the  plague  be  somewhat  dark 
after  the  washing  of  it ;  then  he  shall  rend  it  out  of 
the  garment."  The  Word  may  produce  such  an 
effect  as  that  the  wrong  features  in  a  man's  char- 
acter, or  the  wrong  points  in  his  position,  shall  be 
given  up,  and  the  evil  be  got  rid  of;  but  if  the  evil 
continue  after  all,  the  whole  thing  must  be  con- 
demned and  set  aside. 

There  is  a  rich  mine  of  practical  instruction  in  all 
this.  We  must  look  well  to  the  position  which  we 
occup}',  the  circumstances  in  which  we  stand,  the 
habits  we  adopt,  the  character  we  wear.  There  is 
special  need  of  watchfulness.  Every  suspicious 
symptom  and  trait  must  be  sedulously  guarded,  lest 
it  should  prove,  in  the  sequel,  to  be  "a  fretting" 
or  "spreading  leprosy,"  whereby  we  ourselves  and 
many  others  may  be  defiled.  We  may  be  placed  in 
apposition  attached  to  which  there  are  certain  wrong 
things  which  can  be  given  up  without  entirely  aban- 
doning the  position ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  we 


240  LEVITICUS. 

may  find  ourselves  in  a  situation  in  which  it  is  im- 
possible to  "abide  with  God."  Where  the  eye  is 
single,  the  path  will  be  plain.  Where  the  one  desire 
of  the  heart  is  to  enjoy  the  divine  presence,  we  shall 
easily  discover  those  things  which  tend  to  deprive 
us  of  that  unspeakable  blessing. 

May  our  hearts  be  tender  and  sensitive  ;  may  we 
cultivate  a  deeper,  closer  walk  with  God  ;  and  may 
we  carefully  guard  against  every  form  of  defilement, 
whether  in  person,  in  habit,  or  in  association. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  the  beauteous 
and  significant  ordinances  connected  with  the- cleans- 
ing of  the  leper,  in  which  we  shall  find  some  of  the 
most  precious  truths  of  the  gospel  presented  to  us. 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'This 
shall  be  the  law  of  the  leper  in  the  day  of  his  cleans- 
ing: he  shall  be  brought  unto  the  priest:  and  the 
priest  shall  go  forth  out  of  the  camp."  (Chap.  xiv. 
1-3.)  We  have  already  seen  the  place  which  the 
leper  occupied.  He  was  outside  the  camp,  in  the 
place  of  moral  distance  from  God — from  His  sanc- 
tuary and  His  assembly.  Moreover,  he  dwelt  in 
dreary  solitude,  in  a  condition  of  uncleanness.  He 
was  beyond  the  reach  of  human  aid,  and  as  for 
himself,  he  could  only  communicate  defilement  to 
every  one  and  every  thing  he  touched.  It  was 
therefore  obviously  impossible  that  he  could  do 
aught  to  cleanse  himself.  If,  indeed,  he  could  only 
defile  by  his  very  touch,  how  could  he  possibly 
cleanse  himself  ?  how  could  he  contribute  towards, 
or  co-operate  in,  his  cleansing?  Impossible.  As  an 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  241 

unclean  leper,  h§  could  not  do  so  much  as  a  single 
thing  for  himself;  all  had  to  be  done  for  him.  He 
could  not  make  his  wa}-  to  God,  but  God  could  make 
His  way  to  him.  He  was  shut  up  to  God.  There 
was  no  help  for  him  either  in  himself  or  in  his  fellow- 
man.  It  is  clear  that  one  leper  could  not  cleanse 
another;  and  it  is  equally  clear  that  if  a  leper 
touched  a  clean  person,  he  rendered  him  unclean. 
His  only  resource  was  in  God.  He  was  to  be  a 
debtor  to  grace  for  every  thing. 

Hence,  we  read,  "The  priest  shall  go  forth  out  of 
the  camp."  It  is  not  said,  The  leper  shall  go.  This 
was  wholly  out  of  the  question.  It  was  of  no  use 
talking  to  the  leper  about  going  or  doing.  He  was 
consigned  to  deary  solitude  ;  whither  could  he  go  ? 
He  was  involved  in  helpless  defilement ;  what  could 
he  do?  He  might  long  for  fellowship  and  long  to  be 
clean,  but  his  longings  were  those  of  a  lonety  help- 
less leper.  He  might  make  efforts  after  cleansing, 
but  his  efforts  could  but  prove  him  unclean,  and 
tend  to  spread  defilement.  Before  ever  he  could  be 
pronounced  "clean,"  a  work  had  to  be  wrought  for 
him — a  work  which  he  could  neither  do  nor  help  to 
do — a  work  which  had  to  be  wholly  accomplished  by 
another.  The  leper  was  called  to  "stand  still"  and 
behold  the  priest  doing  a  work  in  virtue  of  which 
the  leprosy  could  be  perfectly  cleansed.  The  priest 
accomplished  all :  the  leper  did  nothing. 

"Then  shall  the  priest  command  to  take  for  him 
that  is  to  be  cleansed,  two  birds,  alive  and  clean, 
and  cedar-wood,  and  scarlet,  and  hyssop.  And  the 


242  LEVITICUS. 

priest  shall  command  that  one  of  the  birds  be  killed 
in  an  earthen  vessel  over  running  water."  In  the 
priest  going  forth  from  the  camp — forth  from  God's 
dwelling-place — we  behold  the  blessed  Lord  Jesus 
coming  down  from  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  His 
eternal  dwelling-place,  into  this  polluted  world  of 
ours,  where  He  beheld  us  sunk  in  the  polluting 
leprosy  of  sin.  He,  like  the  good  Samaritan,  ''came 
where  we  were."  He  did  not  come  half-way  merel}* ; 
He  did  not  come  nine-tenths  of  the  way;  He  came 
all  the  way.  This  was  indispensable.  He  could  not 
consistently  with  the  holy  claims  of  the  throne  of 
God  have  bidden  our  leprosy  to  depart  had  He  re- 
mained in  the  bosom.  He  could  call  worlds  into 
existence  by  the  word  of  His  mouth,  but  when 
leprous  sinners  had  to  be  cleansed,  something  more 
was  needed.  "God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave 
His  only  begotten  Son."  When  worlds  were  to  be 
framed,  God  had  but  to  speak  ;  when  sinners  had  to 
be  saved,  He  had  to  give  His  Son.  "In  this  was 
manifested  the  love  of  God  towards  us,  because  that 
God  sent  His  only  begotten  Son  into  the  world,  that 
we  might  live  through  Him.  Herein  is  love,  not  that 
we  loved  God,  but  that  He  loved  us,  and  sent  His 
Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins."  (1  John 
iv.  9,  10.) 

But  there  was  far  more  to  be  accomplished  than 
the  mission  and  incarnation  of  the  Son.  It  would 
have  availed  the  leper  but  little  indeed  had  the  priest 
merely  gone  forth  from  the  camp  and  looked  upon 
\\is  low  and  forlorn  condition.  Blood-shedding  was 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  243 

essentially  necessary  ere  leprosy  could  be  removed. 
The  death  of  a  spotless  victim  was  needed.  ''With- 
out shedding  of  blood  is  no  remission."  (Heb.  ix. 
22.)  And  be  it  observed  that  the  shedding  of  blood 
was  the  real  basis  of  the  leper's  cleansing.  It  was 
not  a  mere  circumstance,  which,  in  conjunction  with 
others,  contributed  to  the  leper's  cleansing.  By  no 
means.  The  giving  up  of  the  life  was  the  grand  and 
all-important  fact.  When  this  was  accomplished, 
the  way  was  open,  every  barrier  was  removed,  God 
could  deal  in  perfect  grace  with  the  leper.  This 
point  should  be  distinctly  laid  hold  of  if  my  reader 
would  fully  enter  into  the  glorious  doctrine  of  the 
blood. 

"And  the  priest  shall  command  that  one  of  the 
birds  be  killed  in  an  earthen  vessel  over  running 
water."  Here  we  have  the  acknowledged  type  of 
the  death  of  Christ,  "who  through  the  eternal  Spirit 
offered  Himself  without  spot  to  God."  "He  was 
crucified  in  weakness."  (Heb.  ix.  ;  2  Cor.  xiii.) 
The  greatest,  the  mightiest,  the  most  glorious,  the 
most  momentous  work  that  ever  was  accomplished, 
throughout  the  wide  universe  of  God,  was  wrought 
"in  weakness."  Oh,  my  reader,  how  terrible  a  thing 
must  sin  be  in  the  judgment  of  God  when  His  own 
beloved  Son  had  to  come  down  from  heaven  and 
hang  upon  3'onder  cursed  tree,  a  spectacle  to  men, 
to  angels,  and  to  devils,  in  order  that  3-011  and  I 
might  be  forgiven !  And  what  a  type  of  sin  have 
we  in  leprosy !  Who  would  have  thought  that  that 
little  "bright  spot"  appearing  on  the  person  of  some 


244  LEVITICUS. 

member  of  the  congregation  was  a  matter  of  such 
grave  consequence?  But,  ah!  that  little  "bright 
spot"  was  nothing  less  than  the  energy  of  evil  in  the 
place  of  manifestation.  It  was  the  index  of  the 
dreadful  working  of  sin  in  the  nature ;  and  ere  that 
person  could  be  fitted  for  a  place  in  the  assembly, 
or  for  the  enjoyment  of  communion  with  a  holy 
God,  the  Son  of  God  had  to  leave  those  bright 
heavens  and  descend  into  the  lowest  parts  of  the 
earth,  in  order  to  make  a  full  atonement  for  that 
which  exhibited  itself  merely  in  the  form  of  a  little 
"bright  spot."  Let  us  remember  this.  Sin  is  a 
dreadful  thing  in  the  estimation  of  God.  He  cannot 
tolerate  so  much  as  a  single  sinful  thought.  Before 
one  such  thought  could  be  forgiven,  Christ  had  to 
die  upon  the  cross.  The  most  trifling  sin  (if  any 
sin  can  be  called  trifling,)  demanded  nothing  less 
than  God's  eternal  and  coequal  Son.  But,  eternal 
praise  be  to  God,  what  sin  demanded,  redeeming 
love  freely  gave ;  and  now  God  is  infinitely  more 
glorified  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins  than  He  could 
have  been  had  Adam  maintained  his  original  inno- 
cency.  God  is  more  glorified  in  the  salvation,  the 
pardon,  the  justification,  the  preservation,  and  final 
glorification  of  guilty  man  than  He  could  have  been 
in  maintaining  an  innocent  man  in  the  enjoyment  of 
creation-blessings.  Such  is  the  precious  mystery  of 
redemption.  May  our  hearts  enter,  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  into  the  living  and  profound 
depths  of  this  wondrous  mysteiy. 

"As  for  the  living  bird,  he  shall  take  it,  and  the 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  245 

cedar-wood,  and  the  scarlet,  and  the  hyssop,  and 
shall  dip  them  and  the  living  bird  in  the  blood  of 
the  bird  that  was  killed  over  the  running  water. 
And  he  shall  sprinkle  upon  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed 
from  the  leprosy  seven  times,  and  shall  pronounce 
him  clean,  and  shall  let  the  living  bird  loose  into  the 
open  field."  The  blood  being  shed,  the  priest  can. 
enter  directly  and  fully  upon  his  work.  Up  to  this, 
we  read,  "The  priest  shall  command  ;  "  but  now  he 
acts  immediately  himself.  The  death  of  Christ  is 
the  basis  of  His  priestly  ministration.  Having  en- 
tered with  His  own  blood  into  the  holy  place,  He 
acts  as  our  great  High-Priest,  applying  to  our  souls 
all  the  precious  results  of  His  atoning  work,  and 
maintaining  us  in  the  full  and  divine  integrity  of  the 
position  into  which  His  sacrifice  has  introduced  us. 
"For  every  high-priest  is  ordained  to  offer  gifts  and 
sacrifices :  wherefore  it  is  of  iiecessit}^  that  this  Man 
have  somewhat  also  to  offer.  For  if  He  were  on 
earth,  He  should  not  be  a  priest."  (Heb.  viii.  3,  4.) 
We  could  hardly  have  a  more  perfect  type  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  than  that  presented  in  "the 
living  bird  let  loose  into  the  open  field."  It  was  not 
let  go  until  after  the  death  of  its  companion ;  for 
the  two  birds  typify  one  Christ  in  two  stages  of  His 
blessed  work,  namely,  death  and  resurrection.  Ten 
thousand  birds  let  loose  would  not  have  availed  for 
the  leper.  It  was  that  living  bird,  mounting  up- 
ward into  the  open  heavens,  bearing  upon  his  wing 
the  significant  token  of  accomplished  atonement — it 
was  that  which  told  out  the  great  fact  that  the  work 


246  LEVITICUS. 

was  done,  the  ground  cleared,  the  foundation  laid. 
Thus  is  it  in  reference  to  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  His  resurrection  declares  the  glorious  tri- 
umph of  redemption.  "  He  rose  again  the  third  day 
according  to  the  Scriptures. "  "He  was  raised  again 
for  our  justification."  It  is  this"  that  sets  the  bur- 
dened heart  free  and  liberates  the  struggling  con- 
,  science.  The  Scriptures  assure  me  that  Jesus  was 
nailed  to  the  cross  under  the  weight  of  my  sins ; 
but  the  same  Scriptures  assure  me  that  He  rose  from 
the  grave  without  one  of  those  sins  upon  Him.  Nor 
is  this  all.  The  same  Scriptures  assure  me  that  all 
who  put  their  trust  in  Jesus  are  as  free  from  all 
charge  of  guilt  as  He  is  ;  that  there  is  no  more  wrath 
or  condemnation  for  them  than  for  Him  ;  that  they 
are  in  Him,  one  with  Him,  accepted  in  Him,  co- 
quickened,  co-raised,  co-seated,  with  Him.  Such  is 
the  peace-giving  testimony  of  the  Scriptures  of 
truth — such  the  record  of  God  who  cannot  lie.  (See 
Rom.  vi.  6-11;  viii.  1-4;  2  Cor.  v.  21;  Eph.  ii.  5, 
6;  Col.  ii.  10-15;  1  John  iv.  17.) 

But  we  have  another  most  important  truth  set  be- 
fore us  in  verse  6  of  our  chapter.  We  not  only  see 
our  full  deliverance  from  guilt  and  condemnation,  as 
beautifully  exhibited  in  the  living  bird  let  loose,  but 
we  see  also  our  entire  deliverance  from  all  the  at- 
tractions of  earth  and  all  the  influences  of  nature. 
"The  scarlet"  would  be  the  apt  expression  of  the 
former,  while  "the  cedar-wood  and  hyssop"  would 
set  forth  the  latter.  The  cross  is  the  end  of  all 
this  world's  glory.  God  presents  it  as  such,  and 


CHAPTERS   XIII.  &  XIV.  247 

the  believer  recognizes  it  as  such.  "God  forbid  that 
I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  whereby  the  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and 
I  unto  the  world."  (Gal.  vi.  14.) 

Then,  as  to  the  "cedar-wood  and  hyssop,"  they 
present  to  us,  as  it  were,  the  two  extremes  of  na- 
ture's wide  range.  Solomon  "spake  of  trees,  from 
the  cedar-tree  that  is  in  Lebanon  even  unto  the 
hyssop  that  springeth  out  of  the  wall."  (1  Kings  iv. 
33.)  From  the  lofty  cedar  which  crowns  the  sides 
of  Lebanon,  down  to  the  lowly  hyssop — the  wide, 
extremes  and  all  that  lies  between — nature  in  all  its 
departments,  is  brought  under  the  power  of  the 
cross ;  so  that  the  believer  sees  in  the  death  of 
Christ  the  end  of  all  his  guilt,  the  end  of  all  earth's 
glory,  and  the  end  of  the  whole  system  of  nature — 
the  entire  old  creation.  And  with  what  is  he  to  be 
occupied?  With  Him  who  is  the  Antitype  of  that 
living  bird,  with  blood-stained  feathers,  ascending 
into  the  open  heavens.  Precious,  glorious,  soul- 
satisfying  object!  A  risen,  ascended,  triumphant, 
glorified  Christ,  who  has  passed  into  the  heavens, 
bearing  in  His  sacred  Person  the  marks  of  an  ac- 
complished atonement.  It  is  with  Him  we  have  to 
do:  we  are  shut  up  to  Him.  He  is  God's  exclusive 
object ;  He  is  the  centre  of  heaven's  joy,  the  theme 
of  angels'  song.  We  want  none  of  earth's  gloiy, 
none  of  nature's  attractions.  We  can  behold  them 
all,  together  with  our  sin  and  guilt,  forever  set  aside 
by  the  death  of  Christ.  We  can  well  afford  to  dis- 
pense with  earth  and  nature,  inasmuch  as  we  have 


248  LEVITICUS. 

gotten,  instead  thereof,  the  "  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ." 

"And  he'  shall  sprinkle  upon  him  that  is  to  be 
cleansed  from  the  leprosy  seven  times,  and  shall 
pronounce  him  clean,  and  shall  let  the  bird  loose 
into  the  open  field."  The  more  deeply  we  ponder 
over  the  contents  of  chapter  xiii,  the  more  clearly 
we  shall  see  how  utterly  impossible  it  was  for  the 
leper  to  do  aught  towards  his  own  cleansing.  All 
he  could  do  was  to  "put  a  covering  upon  his  upper 
lip  ;  "  and  all  he  could  say  was,  "Unclean,  unclean." 
It  belonged  to  God,  and  to  Him  alone,  to  devise  and 
accomplish  a  work  whereby  the  leprosy  could  be 
perfectly  cleansed  ;  and  further,  it  belonged  to  God, 
and  to  Him  alone,  to  pronounce  the  leper  "clean." 
Hence  it  is  written,  "The  priest  shall  sprinkle," 
and  "he  shall  pronounce  him  clean."  It  is  not  said, 
The  leper  shall  sprinkle  and  pronounce  or  imagine 
himself  clean.  This  would  never  do.  God  was  the 
Judge — God  was  the  Healer — God  was  the  Cleanser. 
He  alone  knew  what  leprosy  was,  how  it  could  be 
put  away,  and  when  to  pronounce  the  leper  clean. 
The  leper  might  have  gone  on  all  his  days  covered 
with  leprosy,  and  }Tet  be  wholly  ignorant  of  what 
was  wrong  with  him.  It  was  the  Word  of  God — the 
Scriptures  of  truth — the  divine  Record  that  declared 
the  full  truth  as  to  leprosy ;  and  nothing  short  of  the 
self-same  authority  could  pronounce  the  leper  clean, 
and  that,  moreover,  only  on  the  solid  and  indispu- 
table ground  of  death  and  resurrection.  There  is 
the  most  precious  connection  between  the  three 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  249 

things  in  verse  7:  the  blood  is  sprinkled,  the  leper 
pronounced  clean,  and  the  living  bird  let  loose. 
There  is  not  so  much  as  a  single  syllable  about  what 
the  leper  was  to  do,  to  say,  to  think,  or  to  feel.  It 
was  enough  that  he  was  a  leper — a  fully  revealed,  a 
thoroughly  judged  leper,  covered  from  head  to  foot. 
This  sufficed  for  him  ;  all  the  rest  pertained  to  God. 

It  is  of -all  importance  for  the  anxious  inquirer 
after  peace  to  enter  into  the  truth  unfolded  in  this 
branch  of  our  subject.  So  many  are  tried  by  the 
question  of  feeling,  realizing,  and  appropriating,  in- 
stead of  seeing,  as  in  the  leper's  case,  that  the 
sprinkling  of  the  blood  was  as  independent  and  as 
divine  as  the  shedding  of  it.  It  is  not  said,  The 
leper  shall  apply,  appropriate,  or  realize,  and  then 
he  shall  be  clean.  By  no  means.  The  plan  of  de- 
liverance was  divine ;  the  provision  of  the  sacrifice 
was  divine  ;  the  shedding  of  the  blood  was  divine  ; 
the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  was  divine;  the  record 
as  to  the  result  was  divine :  in  short,  it  was  all 
divine. 

It  is  not  that  we  should  undervalue  realization, 
or,  to  speak  more  correctly,  communion,  through  the 
Holy  Ghost,  with  all  the  precious  results  of  Christ's 
work  for  us.  Far  from  it:  we  shall  see  presently 
the  place  assigned  thereto  in  the  divine  economy. 
But  then  we  are  no  more  saved  by  realization  than 
the  leper  was  cleansed  by  it.  The  gospel,  by  which 
we  are  saved,  is  that  "Christ  died  for  our  sins  ac- 
cording to  the  Scriptures  ;  and  that  He  was  buried, 
and  that  He  rose  again  the  third  day  according  to 


250  LEVITICUS. 

the  Scriptures.''  There  is  nothing  about  realization 
here.  No  doubt  it  is  happy  to  realize.  It  is  a  very 
happy  thing  for  one  who  was  just  on  the  point  of 
being  drowned  to  realize  himself  in  a  life-boat ;  but 
clearly  he  is  saved  by  the  boat  and  not  by  his  real- 
ization. So  it  is  with  the  sinner  that  believes  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  is  saved  by  death  and 
resurrection.  Is  it  because  he  realize£  it  ?  No ; 
but  because  God  says  it.  It  is  "according  to  the 
Scriptures."  Christ  died  and  rose  again,  and  on 
that  ground  God  i^ronounces  him  clean. 
"No  condemnation,  O  my  soul  ! 
' Tis  God  that  speaks  the  word." 

This  gives  immense  peace  to  the  soul.  I  have  to  do 
with 'God's  plain  record,  which  nothing  can  ever 
shake.  That  record  has  reference  to  God's  own 
work.  It  is  He  Himself  who  has  wrought  all  that 
was  needful  in  order  to  my  being  pronounced  clean 
in  His  sight.  My  pardon  no  more  depends  upon 
my  realization  than  upon  any  "works  of  righteous- 
ness that  I  have  done;"  and  it  no  more  depends 
upon  my  works  of  righteousness  than  it  does  upon 
my  crimes.  In  a  word,  it  depends  exclusively  upon 
the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ.  How  do  I 
know  it?  God  tells  me.  It  is  "according  to  the 
Scriptures." 

There  are  perhaps  few  things  which  disclose  the 
deep-seated  legality  of  our  hearts  more  strikingly 
than  this  oft-raised  question  of  realization.  We  will 
have  in  something  of  self,  and  thus  so  sadly  mar 
our  peace  and  liberty  in  Christ.  It  is  mainly  because 


CHAPTERS    XIII. 


XI\V  £  gjlljl  TT 


of  this  that  I  dwell  at  such 
tiful  ordinance  of  the  cleansing  of 
pecially  on  the  truth  unfolded  in  chapter  xiv.  7.  It 
was  the  priest  that  sprinkled  the  blood,  and  it  was 
the  priest  that  pronounced  the  leper  clean.  Thus  it 
is  in  the  case  of  the  sinner.  The  moment  he  is  on 
his  true  ground,  the  blood  of  Christ  and  the  Word 
of  God  apply  themselves  without  any  further  ques- 
tion or  difficulty  whatever  ;  but  the  moment  this 
harassing  question  of  realization  is  raised,  the  peace 
is  disturbed,  the  heart  depressed,  and  the  mind  be- 
wildered. The  more  thoroughly  I  get  done  with 
self,  and  become  occupied  with  Christ,  as  presented 
in  "the  Scriptures,"  the  more  settled  my  peace  will 
be.  If  the  leper  had  looked  at  himself  when  the 
priest  pronounced  him  clean,  would  he  have  found 
any  basis  for  the  declaration  ?  Surely  not.  The 
sprinkled  blood  was  the  basis  of  the  divine  record, 
and  not  any  thing  in  or  connected  with  the  leper. 
The  leper  was  not  asked  how  he  felt  or  what  he 
thought  ;  he  was  not  questioned  as  to  whether  he 
had  a  deep  sense  of  the  vileness  of  his  disease.  He 
was  an  acknowledged  leper  ;  that  was  enough.  It 
was  for  such  an  one  the  blood  was  shed,  and  that 
blood  made  him  clean.  How  did  he  know  this?  was 
it  because  he  felt  it?  No;  but  because  the  priest, 
on  God's  behalf  and  by  His  authority,  told  him  so. 
The  leper  was  pronounced  clean  on  the  very  same 
ground  that  the  living  bird  was  let  loose.  The  samev 
blood  which  stained  the  feathers  of  that  living  bird 
was  sprinkled  upon  the  leper.  This  was  a  perfect 


252  LEVITICUS. 

settlement  of  the  whole  affair,  and  that,  too,  in  a 
manner  entirely  independent  of  the  leper,  the  leper's 
thoughts,  his  feelings,  and  his  realization.  Such 
is  the  type.  And  when  we  look  from  the  type  to 
the  Antitype,  we  see  that  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  entered  heaven  and  laid  on  the  throne  of 
God  the  eternal  record  of  an  accomplished  work,  in 
virtue  of  which  the  believer  enters  also.  This  is  a 
most  glorious  truth,  divinely  calculated  to  dispel 
from  the  heart  of  the  anxious  inquirer  every  doubt, 
every  fear,  every  bewildering  thought,  and  every 
harassing  question.  A  risen  Christ  is  God's  exclu- 
sive object,  and  He  sees  every  believer  in  Him. 
May  every  awakened  soul  find  abiding  repose  in  this 
emancipating  truth. 

"And  he  that  is  to  be  cleansed  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  shave  off  all  his  hair,  and  wash  himself 
in  water,  that  he  may  be  clean  ;  and  after  that  he 
shall  come  into  the  camp,  and  shall  tarry  abroad  out 
of  his  tent  seven  days."  (Ver.  8.)  The  leper,  be- 
ing pronounced  clean,  can  begin  to  do  what  he  could 
not  even  have  attempted  to  do  before,  namel}',  to 
cleanse  himself,  cleanse  his  habits,  shave  off  all  his 
hair ;  and,  having  done  so,  he  is  privileged  to  take 
his  place  in  the  camp — the  place  of  ostensible,  rec- 
ognized, public  relationship  with  the  God  of  Israel, 
whose  presence  in  that  camp  it  was  which  rendered 
the  expulsion  of  the  leper  needful.  The  blood  hav- 
ing been  applied  in  its  expiating  virtue,  there  is  the 
washing  of  water,  which  expresses  the  action  of  the 
Word  on  the  character,  the  habits,  the  ways,  so  as 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XTV.  253 

to  render  the  person,  not  only  in  God's  view,  but 
also  in  the  view  of  the  congregation,  morally  and 
practically  fit  for  a  place  in  the  public  assembly. 

But,  be  it  observed,  the  man,  though  sprinkled 
with  blood  and  washed  with  water,  and  thus  entitled 
to  a  position  in  the  public  assembly,  was  not  per- 
mitted to  enter  his  own  tent.  He  was  not  permitted 
to  enter  upon  the  full  enjoj*ment  of  those  private, 
personal  privileges  which  belonged  to  his  own  pecu- 
liar place  in  the  camp.  In  other  words,  though 
knowing  redemption  through  the  shed  and  sprinkled 
blood,  and  owning  the  Word  as  the  rule  according 
to  which  his  person  and  all  his  habits  should  be 
cleansed  and  regulated,  he  had  j-ettobe  brought,  in 
the  power  of  the  Spirit,  into  full,  intelligent  com- 
munion with  his  own  special  place,  portion,  and 
privileges  in  Christ. 

I  speak  according  to  the  doctrine  of  the  type ; 
and  I  feel  it  to  be  of  importance  to  apprehend  the 
truth  unfolded  therein.  It  is  too  often  overlooked. 
There  are  many  who  own  the  blood  of  Christ  as  the 
alone  ground  of  pardon,  and  the  Word  of  God  as 
that  whereby  alone  their  habits,  ways,  and  associa- 
tions are  to  be  cleansed  and  ordered,  who  neverthe- 
less are  far  from  entering,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  into  communion  with  the  preciousness  and 
excellency  of  that  One  whose  blood  has  put  away 
their  sins  and  whose  Word  is  to  cleanse  their  prac- 
tical habits.  They  are  in  the  place  of  ostensible 
and  actual  relationship,  but  not  in  the  power  of 
personal  communion.  It  is  perfectly  true  that  all 


254  LEVITICUS. 

believers  are  in  Christ,  and,  as  such,  entitled  to 
communion  with  the  very  highest  truths  ;  moreover, 
they  have  the  Hoty  Ghost  as  the  power  of  commun- 
ion,— all  this  is  divinely  true  ;  but  then  there  is  not 
that  entire  setting  aside  of  all  that  pertains  to 
nature,  which  is  really  essential  to  the  power  of 
communion  with  Christ  in  all  the  aspects  of  His 
character  and  work.  In  point  of  fact,  this  latter 
will  not  be  fully  known  to  any  until  "the  eighth 
day" — the  day  of  resurrection-glory,  when  we  shall 
know  even  as  we  are  known.  Then,  indeed,  each 
one  for  himself,  and  all  together,  shall  enter  into  the 
full,  unhindered  power  of  communion  with  Christ, 
in  all  the  precious  phases  of  His  Person  and  features 
of  His  character  unfolded  from  verse  10  to  20  of  our 
chapter.  Such  is  the  hope  set  before  us  ;  but  even 
now,  in  proportion  as  we  enter,  by  faith,  through 
the  mighty  energy  of  the  indwelling  Spirit,  into  the 
death  of  nature  and  all  pertaining  thereto,  we  can 
feed  upon  and  rejoice  in  Christ  as  the  portion  of  our 
souls,  in  the  place  of  individual  communion. 

"But  it  shall  be  on  the  seventh  day,  that  he  shall 
shave  all  his  hair  off  his  head  and  his  beard  and  his 
e}'ebrows,  even  all  his  hair  he  shall  shave  off;  and 
he  shall  wash  his  clothes,  also  he  shall  wash  his  flesh 
in  water,  and  he  shall  be  clean."  '(Ver.  9.)  Now, 
it  is  clear  that  the  leper  was  just  as  clean,  in  God's 
judgment,  on  the  first  da}',  when  the  blood  was 
sprinkled  upon  him  in  its  sevenfold  or  perfect  effi- 
cacy, as  he  was  on  the  seventh  da}T.  Wherein,  then, 
was  the  difference  ?  Not  in  his  actual  standing  and 


CHAPTERS   XIII.  &  XIV.  255 

condition,  but  in  his  personal  intelligence  and  com- 
munion. On  the  seventh  clay  he  was  called  to  enter 
into  the  full  and  complete  abolition  of  all  that  per- 
tained to  nature.  He  was  called  to  apprehend  that 
not  merely  was  nature's  leprosy  to  be  put  away,  but 
nature's  ornaments — yea,  all  that  was  natural — all 
that  belonged  to  the  old  condition. 

It  is  one  thing  to  know,  as  a  doctrine,  that  God 
sees  my  nature  to  be  dead,  and  it  is  quite  another 
thing  for  me  to  " reckon"  myself  as  dead — to  put 
off,  practically,  the  old  man  and  his  deeds — to  mor- 
tify my  members  which  are  on  the  earth.  This, 
probably,  is  what  many  godly  persons  mean  when 
they  speak  of  progressive  sanctification.  They  mean 
a  right  thing,  though  they  do  not  put  it  exactly 
as  the  Scriptures  do.  The  leper  was  pronounced 
clean  the  moment  the  blood  was  sprinkled  upon 
him,  and  }-et  he  had  to  cleanse  himself.  How  was 
this  ?  In  the  former  case,  he  was  clean  in  the  judg- 
ment of  God  ;  in  the  latter,  he  was  to  be  clean  prac- 
tically, in  his  own  personal  intelligence,  and  in  his 
manifested  character.  Thus  it  is  with  the  believer. 
He  is,  as  one  with  Christ,  "washed,  sanctified,  and 
justified"— "accepted"— "complete."  (1  Cor.  vi. 
11 ;  Eph.  i.  C  ;  Col.  ii.  10.)  Such  is  his  unalterable 
standing  and  condition  before  God.  He  is  as  per- 
fectly sanctified  as  he  is  justified,  for  Christ  is  tl^e 
measure  of  both  the  one  and  the  other,  accordirtg 
to  God's  judgment  and  view  of  the  case.  But  then 
the  believer's  apprehension  of  all  this  in  his  own 
soul,  and  his  exhibition  thereof  in  his  habits  and 
18 


256  LEVITICUS. 

ways,  open  up  quite  another  line  of  things.  Hence 
it  is  we  read,  "-Having  therefore  these  promises, 
dearly  beloved,  let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthi- 
ness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in 
the  fear  of  God."  (2  Cor.  vii.  1.)  It  is  because 
Christ  has  cleansed  us  by  His  precious  blood  that 
therefore  we  are  called  to  ''cleanse  ourselves"  by 
the  application  of  the  Word,  through  the  Spirit. 
"This  is  He  that  came  by  water  and  blood,  Jesus 
Christ ;  not  by  water  only,  but  by  water  and  blood. 
And  it  is  the  Spirit  that  beareth  witness,  because 
the  Spirit  is  truth.  For  there  are  three  that  bear 
record,  the  Spirit,  and  the  water,  and  the -blood; 
and  these  three  agree  in  one."  (1  John  v.  6,  8.) 
Here  we  have  atonement  by  the  blood,  cleansing  by 
the  Word,  and  power  by  the  Spirit — all  founded 
upon  the  death  of  Christ,  and  all  vividly  foreshad- 
owed in  the  ordinances  connected  with  the  cleansing 
of  the  leper. 

"And  on  the  eighth  day  he  shall  take  two  be 
lambs  without  blemish,  and  one  ewe  lamb  of  the 
first  year  without  blemish,  and  three  tenth  deals  of 
fine  flour  for  a  meat-offering,  mingled  with  oil,  and" 
one  log  of  oil.  And  the  priest  that  maketh  him 
clean  shall  present  the  man  that  is  to  be  made  clean, 
and  those  things,  before  the  Lord,  at  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  And  the  priest 
stiall  take  one  he  lamb,  and  offer  him  for  a  trespass- 
offering,  and  the  log  of  oil,  and  wave  them  for  a 
wave-offering  before  the  Lord."  (Ver.  10-12.)  The 
entire  range  of  offerings  is  here  introduced ;  but  it 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  257 

is  the  trespass-offering  which  is  first  killed,  inasmuch 
as  the  leper  is  viewed  as  an  actual  trespasser.  This 
is  true  in  every  case.  As  those  who  have  trespassed 
against  God,  we  need  Christ  as  the  One  who  atoned, 
on  the  cross,  for  those  trespasses.  "Himself  bare 
our  sins  in  His  own  body  on  the  tree."  The  first 
view  which  the  sinner  gets  of  Christ  is  as  the  Anti- 
t3*pe  of  the  trespass-offering. 

"And  the  priest  shall  take  some  of  the  blood  of 
the  trespass-offering,  and  the  priest  shall  put  it  upon 
the  tip  of  the  right  ear  of  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed, 
and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and  upon  the 
great  toe  of  his  right  foot.  "The  ear," — that  guilty 
member  which  had  so  frequently  proved  a  channel 
of  communication  for  vanitj',  folh',  and  even  un- 
cleanness — that  ear  must  be  cleansed  by  the  blood 
of  the  trespass-offering.  Thus  all  the  guilt  which  I 
have  ever  contracted  by  that  member  is  forgiven 
according  to  God's  estimate  of  the  blood  of  Christ. 
"The  right  hand,"  which  had  so  frequently  been 
stretched  forth  for  the  execution  of  deeds  of  vanity, 
folly,  and  even  uncleanness,  must  be  cleansed  by  the 
blood  of  the  trespass-offering.  Thus  all  the  guilt 
which  I  have  ever  contracted  by  that  member  is 
forgiven  according  to  God's  estimate  of  the  blood  of 
Christ.  "The  foot,  which  had  so  often  run  in  the 
way  of  vanity,  folly,  and  even  uncleanness,  must  now 
be  cleansed  by  the  blood  of  the  trespass-offering, 
so  that  all  the  guilt  which  I  have  ever  contracted  by 
that  member  is  forgiven  according  to  Goal's  estimate 
of  the  blood  of  Christ.  Yes  ;  all,  all,  all  is  forgiven 


258  LEVITICUS. 

— all  is  canceled — all  forgotten — all  sunk  as  lead  in 
the  mighty  waters  of  eternal  oblivion.  Who  shall 
bring  it  up  again?  Shall  angel,  man,  or  devil  be 
able  to  plunge  into  those  unfathomed  and  unfathom- 
able waters,  to  bring  up  from  thence  those  trespasses 
of  "foot,"  "hand,"  or  "ear,"  which  redeeming  love 
has  cast  thereinto?  Oh,  no;  blessed  be  God,  they 
are  gone,  and  gone  forever !  I  am  better  off,  by  far, 
than  if  Adam  had  never  sinned.  Precious  truth  ! 
To  be  washed  in  the  blood  is  better  far  than  to  be 
clothed  in  innocency. 

But  God  could  not  rest  satisfied  with  the  mere 
blotting  out  of  trespasses  by  the  atoning  blood  of 
Jesus.  This  in  itself  is  a  great  thing,  but  there  is 
something  greater  still. 

"And  the  priest  shall  take  some  of  the  log  of  oil, 
and  pour  it  into  the  palm  of  his  own  left  hand :  and 
the  priest  shall  dip  his  right  finger  in  the  oil  that  is 
in  his  left  hand,  and  shall  sprinkle  of  the  oil  with 
his  finger  seven  times  before  the  Lord.  And  of  the 
rest  of  the  oil  that  is  in  his  hand  shall  the  priest  put 
upon  the  tip  of  the  right  ear  of  him  that  is  to  be 
cleansed,  and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and 
upon  the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot,  upon  the  blood 
of  the  trespass-offering ;  and  the  remnant  of  the  oil 
that  is  in  the  priest's  hand  he  shall  pour  upon  the 
head  of  him  Miat  is  to  be  cleansed ;  and  the  priest 
shall  make  an  atonement  for  him  before  the  Lord." 
(Ver.  15-18.)  Thus,  not  only  are  our  members 
cleansed  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  but  also  conse- 
crated to  God  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit.  God's 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  259 

•work  is  not  only  negative,  but  positive.  The  ear  is 
no  longer  to  be  the  vehicle  for  communicating  de- 
filement, but  to  be  "swift  to  hear"  the  voice  of  the 
Good  Shepherd  ;  the  hand  is  no  longer  to  be  used 
as  the  instrument  of  unrighteousness,  but  to  be 
stretched  forth  in  acts  of  righteousness,  grace,  and 
true  holiness ;  the  foot  is  no  longer  to  tread  in 
folly's  paths,  but  to  run  in  the  way  of  God's  holy 
commandments :  and,  finally,  the  whole  man  is  to  be 
dedicated  to  God  in  the  energy  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
It  is  deeply  interesting  to  see  that  "the  oil"  was 
put ' '  upon  the  blood  of  the  trespass-offering. ' '  The 
blood  of  Christ  is  the  divine  basis  of  the  operations 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  blood  and  the  oil  go  to- 
gether. As  sinners,  we  could  know  nothing  of  the 
latter  save  on  the  ground  of  the  former.  The  oil 
could  not  have  been  put  upon  the  leper  until  the 
blood  of  the  trespass-offering  had  first  been  applied. 
"In  whom  also,  after  that  ye  believed,  ye  were  sealed 
with  that  Holy  Spirit  of  promise."  The  divine  ac- 
curacy of  the  type  evokes  the  admiration  of  the 
renewed  mind.  The  more  closely  we  scrutinize  it — 
the  more  of  the  light  of  Scripture  we  concentrate 
upon  it,  the  more  its  beaut}r,  force,  and  precision 
are  perceived  and  enjoyed.  All,  as  might  justly  be 
expected,  is  in  the  most  lovely  harmony  with  the 
entire  analogy  of  the  Word  of  God.  There  is  no 
need  for  any  effort  of  the  mind.  Take  Christ  as 
the  key  to  unlock  the  rich  treasury  of  the  types ; 
explore  the  precious  contents  by  the  light  of  Inspi- 
ration's heavenly  lamp  ;  let  the  Holy  Ghost  be  your 


260  LEVITICUS. 

Interpreter ;  and  3*011  cannot  fail  to  be  edified,  en- 
lightened, and  blessed. 

"And  the  priest  shall  offer  the  sin-offering,  and 
make  an  atonement  for  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed 
from  his  uncleanness."  Here  we  have  a  type  of 
Christ,  not  only  as  the  Bearer  of  our  trespasses, 
but  also  as  the  One  who  made  an  end  of  sm, 
root  and  branch  ;  the  One  who  destroyed  the  entire 
system  of  sin — "the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world"  —  "the  propitiation 
for  the  whole  world."  As  the  Trespass-offering, 
Christ  put  away  all  my  trespasses ;  as  the  Sin- 
offering,  He  met  the  great  root  from  whence  those 
trespasses  emanated.  He  met  all ;  but  it  is  as 
the  Trespass-offering  I  first  know  Him,  because  it 
is  as  such  I  first  need  Him.  It  is  the  "con- 
science of  sins"  that  first  troubles  me.  This  is 
divinely  met  by  my  precious  Trespass -offering. 
Then,  as  I  get  on,  I  find  that  all  these  sins  had 
a  root,  a  parent  stem,  and  that  root  or  stem  I 
find  within  me.  This,  likewise,  is  divinely  met  by 
my  precious  Sin-offering.  The  order,  as  presented 
in  the  leper's  case,  is  perfect.  It  is  precisely  the 
order  which  we  can  trace  in  the  actual  experience 
of  every  soul.  The  trespass-offering  comes  first, 
and  then  the  sin-offering. 

"And  afterward  he  shall  kill  the  burnt-offering." 
This  offering  presents  the  highest  possible  aspect  of 
the  death  of  Christ.  It  is  Christ  offering  Himself 
without  spot  to  God,  without  special  reference  to 
either  trespasses  or  sin :  it  is  Christ,  in  voluntary 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  2G1 

devotedness,  walking  to  the  cross,  and  there  offering 
Himself  as  a  sweet  savor  to  God. 

"And  the  priest  shall  offer  the  burnt-offering  and 
the  meat-offering  upon  the  altar ;  and  the  priest  shall 
make  an  atonement  for  him,  and  he  shall  be  clean." 
(Ver.  20.)  The  meat-offering  typifies  "the  Man 
Christ  Jesus"  in  His  perfect  human  life.  It  is  in- 
timately associated,  in  the  case  of  the  cleansed  leper, 
with  the  burnt-offering ;  and  so  it  is  in  the  experience 
of  every  saved  sinner.  It  is  when  we  know  our  tres- 
passes are  forgiven,  and  the  root  or  principle  of  sin 
judged,  that  we  can,  according  to  our  measure,  by 
the  power  of  the  Spirit,  enjoy  communion  with  God 
about  that  blessed  One  who  lived  a  perfect  human 
life  down  here  and  then  offered  Himself  without  spot 
to  God  on  the  cross.  Thus  the  four  classes  of  offer- 
ings are  brought  before  us  in  their  divine  order  in 
the  cleansing  of  the  leper,  namely,  the  trespass- 
offering,  the  sin-offering,  the  burnt-offering,  and  the 
meat-offering,  each  exhibiting  its  own  specific  aspect 
of  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Here  closes  the  record  of  the  Lord's  dealings  with 
the  leprous  man ;  and,  oh,  what  a  marvelous  record 
it  is !  what  an  unfolding  of  the  exceeding  hateful- 
ness  of  sin,  the  grace  and  holiness  of  God,  the  pre- 
ciousness  of  Christ's  Person,  and  the  efficacy  of  His 
work  !  Nothing  can  be  more  interesting  than  to 
mark  the  footprints  of  divine  grace  forth  from  the 
hallowed  precincts  of  the  sanctuary  to  the  defiled 
place  where  the  leper  stood,  with  bare  head,  covered 
lip,  and  rent  garments.  God  visited  the  leper  where 


262  LEVITICUS. 

he  was,  but  He  did  not  leave  him  there.  He  went 
forth  prepared  to  accomplish  a  work  in  virtue  of 
which  He  could  bring  the  leper  into  a  higher  place 
and  higher  communion  than  ever  he  had  known 
before.  On  the  ground  of  this  work,  the  leper 
was  conducted  from  his  place  of  defilement  and 
loneliness  to  the  very  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  the  priestly  place,  to  enjoy  priestly 
privileges.  (Comp.  Exod.  xxix.  20,  21,  32.)  How 
could  he  ever  have  climbed  to  such  an  elevation  ? 
Impossible  !  For  aught  he  could  do,  he  might  have 
languished  and  died  in  his  leprosy  had  not  the  sov- 
ereign grace  of  the  God  of  Israel  stooped  to  lift  him 
from  the  dunghill,  to  set  him  among  the  princes  of 
his  people.  If  ever  there  was  a  case'  in  which  the 
question  of  human  effort,  human  merit,  and  human 
righteousness  could  be  fully  tried  and  perfectly 
settled,  the  leper  is  unquestionably  that  case.  In- 
deed it  were  a  sad  loss  of  time  to  discuss  such  a 
question  in  the  presence  of  such  a  case.  It  must 
be  obvious  to  the  most  cursory  reader  that  naught 
but  free  grace  reigning  through  righteousness  could 
meet  the  leper's  condition  and  the  leper's  need. 
And  how  gloriously  and  triumphantly  did  that  grace 
act !  It  traveled  down  into  the  deepest  depths,  that 
it  might  raise  the  leper  to  the  loftiest  heights.  See 
what  the  leper  lost,  and  see  what  he  gained  !  He 
lost  all  that  pertained  to  nature,  and  he  gained  the 
blood  of  atonement  and  the  grace  of  the  Spirit.  I 
mean  typically.  Truly  he  was  a  gainer,  to  an  in- 
calculable amount.  He  was  infinitely  better  off  than 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  263 

if  he  had  never  been  thrust  forth  from  the  camp. 
Such  is  the  grace  of  God  !  such  the  power  and 
value,  the  virtue  and  efficacy,  of  the  blood  of  Jesus! 

How  forcibly  does  all  this  remind  us  of  the  prodi- 
gal in  Luke  xv  !  In  him,  too,  leprosy  had  wrought 
and  risen  to  a  head.  He  had  been  afar  off,  in  the 
defiled  place,  where  his  own  sins  and  the  intense 
selfishness  of  the  far  country  had  created  a  solitude 
around  him  ;  but,  blessed  forever  be  a  father's  deep 
and  tender  love,  we  know  how  it  ended.  The  prod- 
igal found  a  higher  place  and  tasted  higher  com- 
munion than  ever  he  had  known  before  ;  "the  fatted 
calf"  had  never  been  slain  for  him  before;  "the 
best  robe"  had  never  been  on  him  before.  And 
how  was  this  ?  was  it  a  question  of  the  prodigal's 
merit  ?  Oh,  no ;  it  was  simply  a  question  of  the 
father's  love. 

Dear  reader,  let  me  ask,  can  3*011  ponder  over  the 
record  of  God's  dealings  with  the  leper  in  Leviticus 
xiv,  or  the  father's  dealings  with  the  prodigal  in 
Luke  xv,  and  not  have  an  enlarged  sense  of  the  love 
that  dwells  in  the  bosom  of  God,  that  flows  through 
the  Person  and  work  of  Christ,  that  is  recorded  in 
the  Scriptures  of  truth,  and  brought  home  to  the 
heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Lord  grant  us  a  deeper 
and  more  abiding  fellowship  with  Himself ! 

From  verse  21  to  32  we  have  "  the  law  of  him  in 
whom  is  the  plague  of  leprosy,  whose  hand  is  not 
able  to  get  that  which  pertaineth  to  his  cleansing." 
This  refers  to  the- sacrifices  of  "the  eighth  day," 
and  not  to  the  "two  birds  alive  and  clean."  These 


2G-4  LEVITICUS. 

latter  could  not  be  dispensed  with  in  any  case,  be- 
cause the}r  set  forth  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
Christ  as  the  alone  ground  on  which  God  can  receive 
a  sinner  back  to  Himself.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
sacrifices  of  "the  eighth  day "  being  connected  with 
the  soul's  communion,  must,  in  some  degree,  be 
affected  by  the  measure  of  the  soul's  apprehen- 
sion ;  but  whatever  that  measure  may  be,  the 
grace  of  God  can  meet  it  with  those  peculiar^ 
touching  words,  "  such  as  he  is  able  to  get."  And 
not  only  so,  but  the  "two  turtle-doves"  conferred 
the  same  privileges  on  the  "poor"  as  the  two  lambs 
conferred  upon  the  rich,  inasmuch  as  both  the 
one  and  the  other  pointed  to  "the  precious  blood 
of  Christ,"  which  is  of  infinite,  changeless,  and 
eternal  efficacy  in  the  judgment  of  God.  All 
stand  before  God  on  the  ground  of  death  and  res- 
urrection. All  are  brought  into  the  same  place  of 
nearness,  but  all  do  not  enjoy  the  same  measure 
of  communion — all  have  not  the  same  measure  of 
apprehension  of  the  preciousness  of  Christ  in  all  the 
aspects  of  His  work.  They  might,  if  they  would  ; 
but  they  allow  themselves  to  be  hindered  in  various 
wa}Ts.  Earth  and  nature,  with  their  respective  in- 
fluences, act  prejudicial^:  the  Spirit  is  grieved,  and 
Christ  is  not  enjoj^ed  as  He  might  be.  It  is  utterly 
vain  to  expect  that  if  we  are  living  in  the  region  of 
nature,  we  can  be  feeding  upon  Christ.  No  ;  there 
must  be  self-emptiness,  self-denial,  self-judgment, 
if  we  would  habitually  feed  upon  Christ.  It  is  not 
a  question  of  salvation  ;  it  is  not  a  question  of  the 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  265 

leper  introduced  into  the  camp — the  place  of  recog- 
nized relationship.  By  no  means.  It  is  only  a 
question  of  the  soul's  communion,  of  its  enjoj^ment 
of  Christ.  As  to  this,  the  largest  measure  lies  open 
to  us.  We  may  have  communion  with  the  very 
highest  truths ;  but  if  our  measure  be  small,  the 
unupbraiding  grace  of  our  Father's  heart  breathes 
in  the  sweet  words,  "swc/i  as  he  is  able  to  get."  The 
title  of  all  is  the  same,  however  our  capacity  may 
van* ;  and,  blessed  be  God,  when  we  get  into  His 
presence,  all  the  desires  of  the  new  nature,  in  their 
utmost  intensity- ,  are  satisfied  ;  all  the  powers  of  the 
new  nature,  in  their  fullest  range,  are  occupied. 
May  we  prove  these  things  in  our  soul's  happy  ex- 
perience day  by  da}T. 

We  shall  close  this  section  with  a  brief  reference 
to  the  subject  of  leprosy  in  a  house. 

III.  The  reader  will  observe  that  a  case  of  leprosy 
in  a  person,  or  in  a  garment,  might  occur  in  the 
wilderness  ;  but  in  the, matter  of  a  house,  it  was  of 
necessity  confined  to  the  land  of  Canaan. 

•'When  3~e  be  come  into  the  land  of  Canaan, 
which  I  give  to  you  for  a  possession,  and  I  put  the 
plague  of  leprosy  in  a  house  of  the  land  of  your  pos- 
session, .  .  .  then  the  priest  shall  command  that 
they  empty  the  house,  before  the  priest  go  into  it  to 
see  the  plague,  that  all  that  is  in  the  house  be  not 
made  unclean  ;  and  afterward  the  priest  shall  go  in 
to  see  the  house :  and  he  shall  look  on  the  plague, 
and,  behold,  if  the  plague  be  in  the  walls  of  the 
house  with  hollow  strakes,  greenish  or  reddish, 


2GG  LEVITICUS. 

which  in  sight  are  lower  than  the  wall ;  then  the 
priest  shall  go  out  of  the  house  to  the  door  of  the 
house,  and  shut  up  the  house  seven  days." 

Looking  at  the  house  as  the  type  of  an  assembly, 
we  have  some  weighty  principles  presented  to  us  as 
to  the  divine  method  of  dealing  with  moral  evil,  or 
suspicion  of  evil,  in  a  congregation.  We  observe 
the  same  holy  calmness  and  perfect  patience  with 
respect  to  the  house  as  we  have  already  seen  in 
reference  to  the  person  or  the  garment.  There  was 
no  haste  and  no  indifference,  either  as  regards  the 
house,  the  garment,  or  the  individual.  The  man 
who  had  an  interest  in  the  house  was  not  to  treat 
with  indifference  any  suspicious  symptoms  appear- 
ing in  the  wall  thereof;  neither  was  he  to  pronounce 
judgment  himself  upon  such  symptoms :  it  belonged 
to  the  priest  to  investigate  and  to  judge.  The  mo- 
ment that  aught  of  a  questionable  nature  made  its 
appearance,  the  priest  assumed  a  judicial  attitude 
with  respect  to  the  house.  The  house  was  under 
judgment,  .though  not  condemned.'  The  perfec-t 
period  was  to  be  allowed  to  run  its  course  ere  any 
decision  could  be  arrived  at.  The  sj^mptoms  might 
prove  to  be  merely  superficial,  in  which  case  there 
would  be  no  demand  for  any  action  whatever. 

4 'And  the  priest  shall  come  again  the  seventh  day, 
and  shall  look:  and,  behold,. if  the  plague  be  spread 
in  the  walls  of  the  house,  then  the  priest  shall  com- 
mand that  they  take  away  the  stones  in  which  the 
plague  is,  and  they  shall  cast  them  into  an  unclean 
place  without  the  city."  The  whole  house  was  not 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  267 

to  be  condemned :  the  removal  of  the  leprous  stones 
was  first  to  be  tried. 

"And  if  the  plague  come  again,  and  break  out  in 
the  house,  after  that  he  hath  taken  away  the  stones, 
and  after  that  he  hath  scraped  the  house,  and  after 
that  it  is  plastered ;  then  the  priest  shall  come  and  * 
look,  and,  behold,  if  the  plague  be  spread  in  the 
house,  it  is  a  fretting  leprosy  in  the  house :  it  is 
unclean.  And  he  shall  break  down  the  house,  the 
stones  of  it,  and  the  timber  thereof,  and  all  the 
mortar  of  the  house  ;  and  he  shall  carry  them  forth 
out  of  the  city  into  an  unclean  place."  The  case 
was  hopeless,  the  evil  irremediable,  the  whole  build- 
ing was  annihilated. 

"Moreover,  he  that  goeth  into  the  house 
all  the  while  that  it  is  shut  up  shall  be  unclean 
until  the  even.  And  he  that  lieth  in  the  house 
shall  wash  his  clothes ;  and  he  that  eateth  in  the 
house  shall  wash  his  clothes."  This  is  a  solemn 
truth.  Contact  defiles!  Let  us  remember  this. 
It  was  a  principle  largely  inculcated  under  the 
Levitical  econonrv,  and  surely  it  is  not  less  ap- 
plicable now. 

"And  if  the  priest  shall  come  in,  and  look  upon 
it,  and,  behold,  the  plague  hath  not  spread  in  the 
house,  after  the  house  was  plastered  ;  then  the  priest 
shall  pronounce  the  house  clean,  because  the  plague 
is  healed."  The  removal  of  the  defiled  stones,  etc., 
had  arrested  the  progress  of  the  evil,  and  rendered 
all  further  judgment  needless.  The  house  was  no 
longer  to  be  viewed  as  in  a  judicial  place  ;  but  being 


268  LEVITICUS. 

cleansed  by  the  application  of  the  blood,  it  was 
again  fit  for  occupation. 

And  now  as  to  the  moral  of  all  this.  It  is  at  once 
interesting,  solemn,  and  practical.  Look,  for  ex- 
ample, at  the  church  at  Corinth.  It  was  a  spiritual 
house,  composed  of  spiritual  stones  ;  but,  alas!  the 
eagle  eye  of  the  apostle  discerned  upon  its  walls 
certain  symptoms  of  a  most  suspicious  nature.  Was 
he  indifferent  ?  Surely  not.  He  had  imbibed  far 
too  much  of  the  spirit  of  the  Master  of  the  house 
to  admit,  for  one  moment,  of  any  such  thing.  But 
he  was  no  more  hasty  than  indifferent.  He  com- 
manded the  leprous  stone  to  be  removed,  and  gave 
the  house  a  thorough  scraping.  Having  acted  thus 
faithfully,  he  patiently  awaited  the  result.  And  what 
was  that  result?  All  that  the  heart  could  desire. 
"Nevertheless  God,  that  comforteth  those  that  are 
cast  down,  comforted  us  by  the  coming  of  Titus ; 
and  not  by  his  coming  only,  but  by  the  consolation 
wherewith  he  was  comforted  in  you,  when  he  told  us 
j-our  earnest  desire,  your  mourning,  }*our  fervent 
mind  toward  me  ;  so  that  I  rejoiced  the  more.  .  . 
.  .  Li  all  things  ye  have  approved  yourselves  to  be 
clear  in  this  matter.'9  (Comp.  1  Cor.  v.  with  2  Cor. 
vii.  11.)  This  is  a  lovely  instance.  The  zealous 
care  of  the  apostle  was  amply  rewarded  ;  the  plague 
was  stayed,  and  the  assembly  delivered  from  the 
defiling  influence  of  unjudged  moral  evil. 

Take  another  solemn  example. — "And  to  the  an- 
gel of  the  church  in  Pergamos  write:  'These  things 
saith  He  that  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges ; 


CHAPTERS    XIII.  &  XIV.  269 

I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou  dwellest,  even 
where  Satan's  seat  is  ;  and  thou  holdest  fast  My 
name,  and  hast  not  denied  My  faith,  even  in  those 
days  wherein  Antipas  was  My  faithful  martjT,  who 
was  slain  among  you,  where  Satan  dwelleth.  But 
I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  because  thou  hast 
there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who 
taught  Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols, 
and  to  commit  fornication.  So  hast  thou  also  them 
that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which 
thing  I  hate.  Repent ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly,  and  will  fight  against  them  with  the  sword 
of  My  mouth."  (Rev.  ii.  12-1G.)  Here  the  divine 
Priest  stands  in  a  judicial  attitude  with  respect  to 
His  house  at  Pergamos.  He  could  not  be  indiffer- 
ent to  sj-mptoms  so  alarming,  but  He  patiently  and 
graciously  gives  time  to  repent.  If  reproof,  warn- 
ing, and  discipline  prove  unavailing,  judgment  must 
take  its  course. 

These  things  are  full  of  practical  teaching  as  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  assembly.  The  seven  churches 
of  Asia  afford  various  striking  illustrations  of  the 
house  under  priestly  judgment.  We  should  ponder 
them  deeply  and  praj-erfully ;  they  are  of  immense 
value.  We  should  never  sit  down  at  ease  so  long  as 
aught  of  a  suspicious  nature  is  making  its  appear- 
ance in  the  assembly.  We  ma}*  be  tempted  to  sa}*, 
"It  is  none  of  my  business  ;"  but  it  is  the  business  of 
every  one  who  loves  the  Master  of  the  house  to  have 
a  jealous,  godly  care  for  the  purity  of  that  house ; 


270  LEVITICUS. 

and  if  we  shrink  from  the  due  exercise  of  this  care, 
it  will  not  be  for  our  honor  or  profit  in  the  day  of 
the  Lord. 

I  shall  not  pursue  this  subject  any  further  in  these 
pages  ;  and  shall  merely  remark,  in  closing  this  sec- 
tion, that  I  do  not  doubt  in  the  least  that  this  whole 
subject  of  leprosy  has  a  great  dispcnsational  bear- 
ing, not  only  upon  the  house  of  Israel,  but  also 
upon  the  professing  church. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

chapter  treats  of  a  variety  of  ceremonial 
J-  uncleannesses  of  a  much  less  serious  nature 
than  leprosj'.  This  latter  would  seem  to  be  pre- 
sented as  the  expression  of  the  deep-seated  energy 
of  nature's  evil ;  whereas  chapter  xv.  details  a 
number  of  things  which  are  merely  unavoidable  in- 
firmities, but  which,  as  being  in  any  measure  the 
outflow  of  nature,  were  defiling,  and  needed  the 
provisions  of  divine  grace.  The  divine  presence  in 
the  assembly  demanded  a  high  order  of  holiness  and 
moral  purity.  Every  movement  of  nature  had  to  be 
counteracted.  Even  things  which,  so  far  as  man 
was  concerned,  might  seem  to  be  unavoidable  weak- 
nesses, had  a  defiling  influence,  and  required  cleans- 
ing, because  Jehovah  was  in  the  camp.  Nothing 
offensive,  nothing  unsightly,  nothing  in  any  way 
uncomely,  should  be  suffered  within  the  pure,  un- 
sullied, and  sacred  precincts  of  the  presence  of  the 


CHAPTER    XV.  271 

God  of  Israel.  The  uncircumcised  nations  around 
would  have  understood  nothing  of  such  holy  ordi- 
nances ;  but  Jehovah  would  have  Israel  holy,  because 
He  was  Israel's  God.  If  they  were  to  be  privileged 
and  distinguished  by  having  the  presence  of  a  holy 
God,  they  would  need  to  be  a  holy  people. 

Nothing  can  be  more  calculated  to  elicit  the  soul's 
admiration  than  the  jealous  care  of  Jehovah  over  all 
the  habits  and  practices  of  His  people.  At  home 
and  abroad,  asleep  and  awake,  by  da}'  and  by  night, 
He  guarded  them.  He  attended  to  their  food,  He 
attended  to  their  clothing,  He  attended  to  their  most 
minute  and  private  concerns.  If  some  trifling  spot 
appeared  upon  the  person,  it  had  to  be  instantly 
and  carefully  looked  into.  In  a  word,  nothing  was 
overlooked  which  could  in  any  wise  affect  the  well- 
being  or  purity  of  those  with  whom  Jehovah  had 
associated  Himself,  and  in  whose  midst  He  dwelt. 
He  took  an  interest  in  their  most  trivial  affairs.  He 
carefully  attended  to  every  thing  connected  with 
them,  whether  publicly,  socially,  or  privatel}'. 

This,  to  an  uncircumcised  person,  would  have 
proved  an  intolerable  burden.  For  such  an  one  to 
have  a  God  of  infinite  holiness  about  his  path  by 
day  and  about  his  bed  by  night,  would  have  in- 
volved an  amount  of  restraint  beyond  all  power  of 
endurance  ;  but  to  a  true  lover  of  holiness — a  lover 
of  God,  nothing  could  be  more  delightful.  Such  an 
one  rejoices  in  the  sweet  assurance  that  God  is  always 
near,  and  he  delights  in  the  holiness  wrhich  is  at  once 
demanded  and  secured  by  the  presence  of  God. 

19 


272  LEVITICUS; 

Reader,  say,  is  it  thus  with  you?  Do  you  love 
the  divine  presence  and  the  holiness  which  that 
presence  demands  ?  Are  }TOU  indulging  in  any  thing 
incompatible  with  the  holiness  of  God's  presence? 
Are  your  habits  of  thought,  feeling,  and  action  such 
as  comport  with  the  purity  and  elevation  of  the 
sanctuary  ?  Remember,  when  you  read  this  fifteenth 
chapter  of  Leviticus,  that  it  was  written  for  your 
learning.  You  are  to  read  it  in  the  Spirit,  for  to 
you  it  has  a  spiritual  application.  To  read  it  in  any 
other  way  is  to  wrest  it  to  your  own  destruction,  or, 
to  use  a  ceremonial  phrase,  "to  seethe  a  kid  in  its 
mother's  milk." 

Do  you  ask,  What  am  I  to  learn  from  such  a  sec- 
tion of  Scripture  ?  what  is  its  application  to  me  ?  In 
the  first  place,  let  me  ask,  do  you  not  admit  that  it 
waswTritten  for  your  learning?  This,  I  imagine,  you 
will  not  question,  seeing  the  inspired  apostle  so  ex- 
pressly declares  that  "  tvJiatsoever  things  were  written 
aforetime  were  written  for  our  learning."  (Rom.  xv. 
4. )  Many  seem  to  forget  this  important  statement, 
at  least  in  so  far  as  the  book  of  Leviticus  is  con- 
cerned. They  cannot  conceive  it  possible  that  they 
are  to  learn  aught  from  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of 
a  by-gone  age,  and  particularly  from  such  rites  and 
ceremonies  as  the  fifteenth  of  Leviticus  records ; 
but  when  we  remember  that  God  the  Holy  Ghost 
has  written  this  very  chapter — that  every  paragraph, 
every  verse,  every  line  of  it  "is  given  by  inspira- 
tion of  God,  and  is  profitable,"  it  should  lead  us  to 
inquire  what  it  means.  Surely,  what  God  has  writ- 


CHAPTER    XV.  273 

m 

ten  His  child  should  read.  Xo  doubt  there  is  need 
of  spiritual  power  to  know  Jiow,  and  spiritual  wisdom 
to  know  ivlien,  to  read  such  a  chapter ;  but  the  same 
holds  good  with  respect  to  any  chapter.  One  thing 
is  certain,  if  we  were  sufficiently  spiritual,  suffi- 
ciently heavenly,  sufficiently  abstracted  from  nature 
and  elevated  above  earth,  we  should  deduce  naught 
but  purely  spiritual  principles  and  ideas  from  this 
and  kindred  chapters.  If  an  angel  from  heaven  were 
to  read  such  sections,  how  should  he  regard  them  ? 
Only  in  a  spiritual  and  heavenly  light,  only  as  the 
depositories  of  the  purest  and  highest  morality.  And 
why  should  not  we  do  the  same  ?  I  believe  we  are 
not  aware  of  what  positive  contempt  we  pour  upon 
the  sacred  Volume  by  suffering  any  portion  of  it  to 
be  so  grossly  neglected  as  the  book  of  Leviticus  has 
been.  If  this  book  ought  not  to  be  read,  surely  it 
ought  not  to  have  been  written.  If  it  be  not  "prof- 
itable," surely  it  ought  not  to  have  had  a  place 
assigned  it  in  the  canon  of  divine  inspiration  ;  but 
inasmuch  as  it  hath  pleased  " the  only  wise  God", 
to  write  this  book,  it  surely  ought  to  please  His 
children  to  read  it. 

No  doubt,  spiritual  wisdom,  holy  discernment, 
and  that  refined  moral  sense  which  only  communion 
with  God  can  impart — all  these  things  would  be 
needed  in  order  to  form  a  judgment  as  to  when  such 
scripture  ought  to  be  read.  We  should  feel  strongly 
disposed  to  question  the  sound  judgment  and  refined 
taste  of  a  man  who  could  stand  up  and  read  the 
fifteenth  of  Leviticus  in  the  midst  of  an  ordinary 


274  LEVITICUS. 

• 

congregation.  But  why  ?  Is  it  because  it  is  not 
"divinely inspired,"  and  as  such,  "profitable"?  By 
no  means  ;.but  because  the  generality  of  persons  are 
not  sufficiently  spiritual  to  enter  into  its  pure  and 
holy  lessons. 

What,  then,  are  we  to  learn  from  the  chapter  be- 
fore us?  In  the  first  place,  we  learn  to  watch,  with 
holy  jealousy,  every  thing  that  emanates  from  nature. 
Every  movement  of,  and  every  emanation  from  nature 
is  defiling.  Fallen  human  nature  is  an  impure  fount- 
ain, and  all  its  streams  are  polluting.  It  cannot  send 
forth  aught  that  is  pure,  holy,  or  good.  This  is  a 
lesson  frequently  inculcated  in  the  book  of  Leviti- 
cus, and  it  is  impressively  taught  in  this  chapter. 

But  blessed  be  the  grace  that  has  made  such  am- 
ple provision  for  nature's  defilement !  This  provi- 
sion is  presented  under  two  distinct  forms  through- 
out the  entire  of  the  book  of  God,  and  throughout 
this  section  of  it  in  particular,  namely,  "water  and 
blood."  Both  these  are  founded  upon  the  death 
of  Christ.  The  blood  that  expiates  and  the  water 
that  cleanses  flowed  from  the  pierced  side  of  a  cru- 
cified Christ.  (Comp.  John  xix.  34  with  1  John  v.  6.) 
"The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us 
from  all  sin."  (1  John  i.  7.)  And  the  Word  of 
God  cleanseth  our  practical  habits  and  ways.  (Ps. 
cxix.  9;  Eph.  v.  26.)  Thus  we  are  maintained  in 
fitness  for  communion  and  worship,  though  passing 
through  a  scene  where  all  is  defiling,  and  carrying 
with  us  a  nature  every  movement  of  which  leaves  a 
soil  behind. 


CHAPTER    XV.  275 

It  has  been  already  remarked  that  our  chapter 
treats  of  a  class  of  ceremonial  defilements  less  seri- 
ous than  lepros}7.  This  will  account  for  the  fact  that 
atonement  is  here  foreshadowed,  not  by  a  bullock  or 
a  lamb,  but  by  the  lowest  order  of  sacrifice,  namely, 
"two  turtle-doves."  But  on  the  other  hand,  the 
cleansing  virtue  of  the  Word  is  continually  intro- 
duced in  the  ceremonial  actions  of  "washing," 
"bathing,"  and  "rinsing."  "Wherewithal  shall  a 
young  man  cleanse  his  way?  By  taking  heed  thereto 
according  to  Thy  Word."  "Husbands,  love  your 
wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  Church,  and 
gave  Himself  for  it ;  that  He  might  sanctify  and 
cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water  by  the  Word." 
Water  held  a  most  important  place  in  the  Levitical 
system  of  purification,  and  as  a  t}-pe  of  the  Word, 
nothing  can  be  more  interesting  or  instructive. 

Thus  we  can  gather  up  the  most  valuable  points 
from  this  fifteenth  chapter  of  Leviticus.  We  learn, 
in  a  very  striking  manner,  the  intense  holiness  of  the 
divine  presence.  Not  a  soil,  not  a  stain,  not  a  speck, 
can  be  tolerated  for  a  moment  in  that  thrice-hallowed 
region.  "Thus  shall  ye  separate  the  children  of 
Israel  from  their  uncleanness,  that  they  die  not  in 
their  uncleanness,  when  they  defile  My  tabernacle 
that  is  among  them."  (Ver.  31.) 

Again,  we  learn  that  human  nature  is  the  ever- 
flowing  fountain  of  uncleanness.  It  is  hopelessly 
defiled  ;  and  not  only  defiled,  but  defiling.  Awake 
or  asleep,  sitting,  standing,  or  l}'ing,  nature  is  de- 
filed and  defiling :  its  very  touch  conveys  pollution. 


270  LEVITICUS. 

This  is  a  deeply  humbling  lesson  for  proud  human- 
ity ;  but  thus  it  is.  The  book  of  Leviticus  holds  up 
a,  faithful  mirror  to  nature:  it  leaves  "flesh"  no- 
thing to  glory  in.  Men  may  boast  of  their  refine- 
ment, their  moral  sense,  their  dignit}- :  let  them 
study  the  third  book  of  Moses,  and  there  they  will 
see  what  it  is  all  really  worth  in  God's  estimation. 

Finally,  we  learn  afresh  the  expiatory  value  of  the 
blood  of  Christ,  and  the  cleansing,  purifying,  sanc- 
tifying virtues  of  the  precious  Word  of  God.  When 
we  think  of  the  unsullied  purity  of  the  sanctuaiy, 
and  then  reflect  upon  nature's  irremediable  defile- 
ment, and  ask  the  question,  However  can  we  enter 
and  dwell  there?  the  answer  is  found  in  "the  blood 
and  water"  which  flowed  from  the  side  of  a  crucified 
Christ — a  Christ  who  gave  up  His  life  unto  death  for 
us,  that  we  might  live  by  Him.  "There  are  three 
that  bear  record  in  earth,  the  Spirit  and  the  water 
and  the  blood;  and,"  blessed  be  God,  "these  three 
agree  in  one."  The  Spirit  does  not  convey  to  our 
ears  a  message  diverse  from  that  which  we  find  in 
the  Word,  and  both  the  Word  and  the  Spirit  declare 
to  us  the  preciousness  and  efficacy  of  the  blood. 

Can  we  not  therefore  say  that  the  fifteenth  chapter 
of  Leviticus  was  "written  for  our  learning"?  Has 
it  not  its  own  distinct  place  in  the  divine  canon? 
Assuredly.  There  would  be  a  blank  were  it  omitted. 
We  learn  in  it  what  we  could  not  learn  in  the  same 
way  any  where  else.  True,  all  Scripture  teaches  us 
the  holiness  of  God,  the  vileness  of  nature,  the  effi- 
cacy of  the  blood,  the  value  of  the  Word ;  but  the 


CHAPTER    XVI.  277 

chapter  upon  which  we  have  been  pondering,  pre- 
sents these  great  truths  to  our  notice,  and  presses 
them  upon  our  hearts,  in  a  manner  quite  peculiar 
to  itself. 

May  every  section  of  our  Father's  Volume  be  pre- 
cious to  our  hearts.  May  every  one  of  His  testimo- 
nies be  sweeter  to  us  than  honey  and  the  honeycomb, 
and  may  "every  one  of  His  righteous  judgments" 
have  its  due  place  in  our  souls. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THIS  chapter  unfolds  some  of  the  weightiest  prin- 
ciples of  truth  which  can  possibly  engage  the 
renewed  mind.  It  presents  the  doctrine  of  atone- 
ment with  uncommon  fullness  and  power.  In  short, 
we  must  rank  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  Leviticus 
amongst  the  most  precious  and  important  sections 
of  inspiration,  if  indeed  it  be  allowable  to  make 
comparisons  where  all  is  divine. 

Looking  at  this  chapter  historically,  it  furnishes  a 
record  of  the  transactions  of  the  great  day  of  atone- 
ment in  Israel,  whereby  Jehovah's  relationship  with 
the  assembly  was  established  and  maintained,  and 
all  the  sins,  failures,  and  infirmities  of  the  people 
fully  atoned  for,  so  that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell 
among  them.  The  blood  which  was  shed  upon  this 
solemn  day  formed  the  basis  of  Jehovah's  throne  in 
the  midst  of  the  congregation.  In  virtue  of  it,  a 
holy  God  could  take  up  His  abode  in  the  midst  of 
the  people,  notwithstanding  all  their  uncleanness. 


278  LEVITICUS. 

"The  tenth  day  of  the  seventh  month"  was  a  unique 
day  in  Israel:  there  was  no  other  day  in  the  year 
like  it.  The  sacrifices  of  this  one  day  formed  the 
ground  of  God's  dealing  in  grace,  mere}7,  patience, 
and  forbearance. 

Furthermore,  we  learn  from, this  portion  of  in- 
spired history,  "that  the  wray  into  the  holiest  of  all 
was  not  yet  made  manifest."  God  was  hidden  be- 
hind a  vail,  and  man  was  at  a  distance.  "  And  the 
Lord  spake  unto  Moses  after  the  death  of  the  two 
sons  of  Aaron,  when  they  offered  before  the  Lord, 
and  died;  and  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  'Speak 
unto  Aaron  thy  brother,  that  he  come  not  at  all 
times  unto  the  holy  place  within  the  vail  before  the 
mercy-seat,  which  is  upon  the  ark,  that  he  die  not ; 
for  I  will  appear  in  the  cloud  upon  the  mercy-seat.'" 

The  way  was  not  open  for  man  to  approach  at  all 
times  into  the  divine  presence,  nor  was  there  any 
provision,  in  the  entire  range  of  the  Mosaic  ritual, 
for  his  abiding  there  continually.  God  was  shut  in 
from  man,  and  man  was  shut  out  from  God;  nor 
could  "the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats"  open  a  per- 
manent meeting- place  ;  "a  sacrifice  of  nobler  name 
and  richer  blood"  was  needed  to  accomplish  this. 
"For  the  law  having  a  shadow  of  good  things  to 
come,  and  not  the  very  image  of  the  things,  can 
never  with  those  sacrifices  which  they  offered  year 
by  year  continually  make  the  comers  thereunto  per- 
fect. For  then  would  they  not  have  ceased  to  be 
offered  ?  because  that  the  worshipers  once  purged 
should  have  had  no  more  conscience  of  sins.  But 


CHAPTER    XVI.  279 

in  those  sacrifices  there  is  a  remembrance  again 
made  of  sins  every  3Tear.  For  it  is  not  possible  that 
the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  should  take  away 
sins."  (Heb.  x.  1-4.)  Neither  the  Levitical  priest- 
hood nor  the  Levitical  sacrifices  could  yield  per- 
fection. Insufficiency  was  stamped  on  the  latter, 
infirmity  on  the  former,  imperfection  on  both.  An 
imperfect  man  could  not  be  a  perfect  priest ;  nor 
could  an  imperfect  sacrifice  give  a  perfect  con- 
science. Aaron  was  not  competent  or  entitled  to 
take  his  seat  within  the  vail,  nor  could  the  sacrifices 
which  he  offered  rend  that  vail. 

Thus  much  as  to  our  chapter  historically  :  let  us 
now  look  at  it  typicall}-. 

"Thus  shall  Aaron  come  into  the  holy  place :  with 
a  young  bullock  for  a  sm-offering,  and  a  ram  for  a 
burnt- offering."  (Ver.  3.)  Here  we  have  the  two 
grand  aspects  of  Christ's  atoning  work — as  that 
which  perfectly  maintains  the  divine  glory,  and 
perfectly  meets  man's  deepest  need.  There  is  no 
mention,  throughout  all  the  services  of  this  unique 
and  solemn  day,  of  a  meat-offering  or  a  peace-offer- 
ing. The  perfect  human  life  of  our  blessed  Lord  is 
not  foreshadowed  here,  nor  is  the  communion  of  the 
soul  with  God,  consequent  upon  His  accomplished 
work,  unfolded.  In  a  word,  the  one  grand  subject 
is  "atonement,"  and  that  in  a  double  way,  namely, 
first,  as  meeting  all  the  claims  of  God — the  claims 
of  His  nature,  the  claims  of  His  character,  the 
claims  of  His  throne ;  and  secondly,  as  perfectly 
meeting  all  man's  guilt  and  all  his  necessities.  We 


280  LEVITICUS. 

must  bear  these  two  points  in  mind  if  we  would 
have  a  clear  understanding  of  the  truth  presented 
in  this  chapter,  or  of  the  doctrine  of  the  great  day 
of  atonement.  "Thus  shall  Aaron  come  into  the 
holy  place,"  with  atonement,  as  securing  the  glory 
of  God  in  every  possible  way,  whether  as,  respects 
His  counsels  of  redeeming  love  toward  the  Church, 
toward  Israel,  and  toward  the  whole  creation,  or  in 
reference  to  all  the  claims  of  His  moral  administra- 
tion ;  and  with  atonement  as  fully  meeting  man's 
guilty  and  needy  condition.  These  two  aspects  of 
the  atonement  will  continually  present  themselves 
to  our  view  as  we  ponder  the  precious  contents  of 
our  chapter.  Their  importance  cannot  possibly  be 
over-estimated. 

"He  shall  put  on  the  holy  linen  coat,  and  he  shall 
have  the  linen  breeches  upon  his  flesh,  and  he  shall 
be  girded  with  a  linen  girdle,  and  with  the  linen 
mitre  shall  he  be  attired :  these  are  holy  garments  ; 
therefore  shall  he  wash  his  flesh  in  water,  and  so  put 
them  on."  (Ver.  4.)  Aaron's  person,  washed  id 
pure  water,  and  robed  in  the  white  linen  garments, 
furnishes  a  lovely  and  impressive  t}-pe  of  Christ 
entering  upon  the  work  of  atonement.  He  is  seen 
to  be  personally  and  characteristically  pure  and  spot- 
less. "For  their  sakes  I  sanctify  Myself,  that  they 
also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth."  (John 
xvii.  19.)  It  is  peculiarly  precious  to  be  called,  as 
it  were,  to  gaze  upon  the  Person  of  our  divine  Priest, 
in  all  His  essential  holiness.  The  Holy  Ghost  de- 
lights in  every  thing  that  unfolds  Christ  to  the  view 


CHAPTER    XVI.  281 

of  His  people ;  and  wherever  we  behold  Him,  we 
see  him  to  be  the  same  spotless,  perfect,  glorious, 
precious,  peerless  Jesus,  "the  fairest  among  ten 
thousand,  jTea,  altogether  lovely."  He  did  not  need 
to  do  or  to  wear  any  thing  in  order  to  be  pure  and 
spotless ;  He  needed  no  pure  water,  no  line  linen ; 
He  was,  intrinsically  and  practically,  "the  holy  One 
of  God."  What  Aaron  did,  and  what  he  ivore — the 
washing  and  the  robing,  are  but  the  faint  shadows 
of  what  Christ  is.  The  law  had  only  a  "shadow," 
and  "not  the  very  image  of  good  things  to  come." 
Blessed  be  God,  we  have  not  merely  the  shadow, 
but  the  eternal  and  divine  reality — Christ  Himself. 

"And  he  shall  take  of  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel  two  kids  of  the  goats  for  a  sin- 
offering,  and  one  ram  for  a  burnt-offering.  And 
Aaron  shall  offer  his  bullock  of  the  sin-offering, 
which  is  for  himself,  and  make  atonement  for  him- 
self and  for  his  house."  (Ver.  5,  C.)  Aaron  and 
his  house  represent  the  Church,  not  indeed  as  the 
"one  bod}',"  but  as  a  priestly  house.  It  is  not  the 
Church  as  we  find  it  developed  in  Ephesians  and 
Colossians,  but  rather  as  we  find  it  in  the  first  epistle 
of  Peter,  in  the  following  well-known  passage :  "Ye 
also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house, 
a  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices, 
acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ."  (Chap.  ii.  5.) 
So  also  in  Hebrews — "But  Christ  as  a  Son  over  His 
own  house ;  whose  house  are  we,  if  we  hold  fast  the 
confidence  and  the  rejoicing  of  the  hope  firm  unto 
the  end."  (Chap.  iii.  G.)  We  must  ever  remember 


282  LEVITICUS. 

that  there  is  no  revelation  of  the  mj'stery  of  the 
Church  in  the  Old  Testament.  Types  and  shadows 
there  are,  but  no  revelation.  That  wondrous  mys- 
tery of  Jew  and  Gentile  forming  "one  body,"  "one 
new  man,"  and  united  to  a  glorified  Christ  in  heaven, 
could  not,  as  is  obvious,  be  revealed  until  Christ  had 
taken  His  place  above.  Of  this  mystery  Paul  was 
pre-eminently  made  a  steward  and  a  minister,  as  he 
tells  us  in  Ephesians  iii.  1-12,  a  passage  which  I 
would  commend  to  the  prayerful  attention  of  the 
Christian  reader. 

"And  he  shall  take  the  two  goats,  and  present 
them  before  the  Lord  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation.  And  Aaron  shall  cast  lots  upon 
the  two  goats  ;  one  lot  for  the  Lord,  and  the  other  lot 
for  the  scape-goat.  And  Aaron  shall  bring  the  goat 
upon  which  the  Lord's  lot  fell,  and  offer  him  for  a 
sin-offering.  But  the  goat  on  which  the  lot  fell  to 
be  the  scape-goat,  shall  be  presented  alive  before  the 
Lord,  to  make  an  atonement  with  him,  and  to  let 
him  go  for  a  scape-goat  into  the  wilderness."  (Ver. 
7-10.)  In  these  two  goats,  we  have  the  two  aspects 
of  atonement  already  referred  to ;  "the  Lord's  lot" 
fell  upon  one,  and  the  people's  lot  fell  upon  the  other. 
In  the  case  of  the  former,  it  was  not  a  question  of 
the  persons  or  the  sins  which  were  to  be  forgiven, 
nor  of  God's  counsels  of  grace  toward  His  elect. 
These  things,  I  need  hardly  sa}T,  are  of  infinite  mo- 
ment ;  but  they  are  not  involved  in  the  case  of  "the 
goat  on  which  the  Lord's  lot  fell."  This  latter 
typifies  the  death  of  Christ  as  that  wherein  God  has 


CHAPTER    XVI.  283 

been  perfectly  glorified  with  respect  to  sin  in  gen- 
eral. This  great  truth  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  re- 
markable expression,  "the  Lord's  lot."  God  has  a 
peculiar  portion  in  the  death  of  Christ — a  portion 
quite  distinct — a  portion  which  would  hold  eternally 
good  even  though  no  sinner  were  ever  to  be  saved. 
In  order  to  see  the  force  of  this,  it  is  needful  to  bear 
in  mind  how  God  has  been  dishonored  in  this  world. 
His  truth  has  been  despised  ;  His  authority  has  been 
contemned  ;  His  majesty  has  been  slighted  ;  His  law 
has  been  broken  ;  His  claims  have  been  disregarded  ; 
His  name  has  been  blasphemed  ;  His  character  has 
been  traduced. 

Now,  the  death  of  Christ  has  made  provision  for 
all  this.  It  has  perfectly  glorified  God  in  the  very 
place  where  all  these  things  have  been  done  ;  it  has 
perfectly  vindicated  the  majesty,  the  truth,  the  holi- 
ness, the  character  of  God ;  it  has  divinely  met  all 
the  claims  of  His  throne;  it  has  atoned  for  sin;  it 
has  furnished  a  divine  remedy  for  all  the  mischief 
which  sin  introduced  into  the  universe  ;  it  affords  a 
ground  on  which  the  blessed  God  can  act  in  grace, 
mercy,  and  forbearance  toward  all ;  it  furnishes  a 
warrant  for  the  eternal  expulsion  and  perdition  of 
the  prince  of  this  world  ;  it  forms  the  imperishable 
foundation  of  God's  moral  government.  In  virtue 
of  the  cross,  God  can  act  according  to  His  own 
sovereignty ;  He  can  display  the  matchless  glories 
of  His  character  and  the  adorable  attributes  of  His 
nature.  He  might,  in  the  exercise  of  inflexible 
justice,  have  consigned  the  human  family  to  the 


284  LEVITICUS. 

lake  of  fire,  together  with  the  devil  and  his  angels  ; 
but  in  that  ease,  where  would  be  His  love,  His  grace, 
His  mercy,  His  kindness,  His  long-suffering,  His 
compassion,  His  patience,  His  perfect  goodness  ? 

Then  on  the  other  hand,  had  these  precious  attri- 
butes been  exercised  in  the  absence  of  atonement, 
where  were  the  justice,  the  truth,  the  majest}7,  the 
holiness,  the  righteousness,  the  governmental  claims, 
yea,  the  entire  moral  glory  of  God?  How  could 
44  mercy  and  truth  meet  together  "For  "righteous- 
ness and  peace  kiss  each  other"?  how  could  "truth 
spring  out  of  the  earth"?  or  "righteousness  look 
down  from  heaven"?  Impossible.  Naught  save 
the  atonement  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  could  have 
fully  glorified  God  ;  but  that  has  glorified  Him.  It 
has  reflected  the  full  glory  of  the  divine  character  as 
it  never  could  have  been  reflected  amid  the  brightest 
splendors  of  an  unfallen  creation.  By  means  of  that 
atonement,  in  prospect  and  retrospect,  God  has  been 
exercising  forbearance  toward  this  world  for  well- 
nigh  six  thousand  3*ears.  In  virtue  of  that  atone- 
ment, the  most  wicked,  daring,  and  blasphemous  of 
the  sons  of  men  "live,  move,  and  have  their  being ;" 
eat,  drink,  and  sleep.  The  very  morsel  which  yon- 
der open  blaspheming  infidel  puts  into  his  mouth, 
he  owes  to  the  atonement,  which  he  knows  not, 
but  impiously  ridicules  ;  the  sunbeams  and  showers 
which  fertilize  the  fields  of  the  atheist,  reach  him  in 
virtue  of  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  3~ea,  the  very 
breath  which  the  infidel  and  the  atheist  spend  in 
blaspheming  God's  revelation,  or  denying  His  exist- 


CHAPTER    XVI.  285 

ence,  they  owe  to  the  atonement  of  Christ.  Were  it 
not  for  that  precious  atonement,  instead  of  blas- 
pheming upon  earth,  they  would  be  weltering  in  hell. 

Let  not  my  reader  misunderstand  me,  I  speak  not 
here  of  the  forgiveness  or  salvation  of  persons. 
This  is  quite  another  thing,  and  stands  connected, 
as  every  true  Christian  knows,  with  the  confession 
of  the  name  of  Jesus  and  the  hearty  belief  that 
God  raised  Him  from  the  dead.  (Rom.  x. )  This  is 
plain  enough,  and  fully  understood  ;  but  it  is  in  no 
wise  involved  in  that  aspect  of  the  atonement  which 
we  are  at  present  contemplating,  and  which  is  so 
strikingly  foreshadowed  by  "the  goat  on  which  the 
Lord's  lot  fell."  God's  pardoning  and  accepting 
a  sinner  is  one  thing;  His  bearing  with  that  man, 
and  showering  temporal  blessings  upon  him,  is  quite 
another.  Both  are  in  virtue  of  the  cross,  but  in  a 
totally  different  aspect  and  application  thereof. 

Nor  is  this  distinction  by  any  means  unimportant. 
Quite  the  opposite.  Indeed,  so  important  is  it  that 
where  it  is  overlooked,  there  must  be  confusion  as 
to  the  full  doctrine  of  atonement.  Nor  is  this  all. 
A  clear  understanding  of  God's  ways  in  govern- 
ment, whether  in  the  past,  the  present,  or  the  future, 
will  be  found  involved  in  this  profoundly  interesting 
point.  And  finally,  in  it  will  be  found  the  key  where- 
with to  expound  a  number  of  texts  in  which  many 
Christians  find  considerable  difficult}7.  I  shall  just 
adduce  two  or  three  of  these  passages  as  examples. 

"Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world."  (John  i.  29.)  With  this  we 


286  LEVITICUS. 

may  connect  a  kindred  passage  in  John's  first  epistle, 
in  which  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  spoken  of  as  "the 
propitiation  for  the  whole  world."*  (Chap.  ii.  2.)  In 
both  these  passages  the  Lord  Jesus  is  referred  to  as 
the  One  who  has  perfectly  glorified  God  with  respect 
to  "sin"  and  "the  tvorld,"  in  their  broadest  accept- 
ation. He  is  here  seen  as  the  great  Antitype  of  "the 
goat  on  which  the  Lord's  lot  fell."  This  gives  us  a 
mos*  precious  view  of  the  atonement  of  Christ,  and 
oirj  which  is  too  much  overlooked,  or  not  clearly 
apprehended.  Whenever  the  question  of  persons  and 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  is  raised  in  connection  with 
these  and  kindred  passages  of  Scripture,  the  mind 
is  sure  to  get  involved  in  insuperable  difficulties. 

So,  also,  with  respect  to  all  those  passages  in 
which  God's  grace  to  the  world  at  large  is  presented. 
They  are  founded  upon  that  special  aspect  of  the 
atonement  with  which  we  are  more  immediately  oc- 
cupied. "Go  3'e  into  all  the  ivorld  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature."  (Mark,  xvi.) — "God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son, 


*The  reader  will  observe,  in  the  above  passage,  that  the  words 
"the  sins  of"  are  introduced  by  the  translators,  and  are  not  in- 
spired. The  divine  accuracy  of  the  passage  is  completely  lost  by 
retaining  those  uninspired  words.  The  doctrine  laid  down  is  simply 
this:  In  the  first  clause  of  the  verse,  Christ  is  set  forth  as  the  pro- 
pitiation for  His  people's  actual  sins;  but  in  the  last  clause,  it  is 
not  a  question  of  sins  or  of  persons  at  all,  but  of  sin  and  the  world  in. 
general.  In  fact,  the  whole  verse  presents  Christ  as  the  Antitype 
of  the  two  goats,  as  the  One  who  has  borne  His  people's  sins;  and 
also  as  the  One  who  has  perfectly  glorified  God  with  respect  to  sin 
in  general,  and  made  pi-ovision  for  dealing  in  grace  with  the  world 
at  large,  and  for  the  final  deliverance  and  blessing  of  the  whole 
creation. 


CHAPTER   XVI.  287 

that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  might  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life.  For  God  sent  not  His 
Son  into  the  world,  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that 
the  world  through  Him  might  be  saved."  (John  iii. 
16,  17.) — "I  exhort,  therefore,  that  first  of  all, 
supplications,  prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving  of 
thanks,  be  made  for  all  men;  for  kings,  and  for  all 
that  are  in  authority ;  that  we  may  lead  a  quiet  and 
peaceable  life  in  all  godliness  and  honest}'.  For  this 
is  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our 
Saviour;  who  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  to 
come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  For  there 
is  one  God,. and  one  Mediator  between  God  and  men, 
the  Man  Christ  Jesus  ;  who  gave  Himself  a  ransom 
for  all,  to  be  testified  in  due  time."  (1  Tim.  ii.  1-6.) 
— "For  the  grace  of  God  that  bringeth  salvation  hath 
appeared  to  all  men."  (Titus  ii.  11.) — "But  we  see 
Jesus,  who  was  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 
for  the  suffering  of  death,  crowned  with  glory  and 
honor ;  that  He  by  the  grace  of  God  should  taste 
death  for  every  man."  (Heb.  ii.  9.) — "The  Lord  is 
not  slack  concerning  His  promise,  as  some  men 
count  slackness  ;  but  is  long-suffering  to  usward,  not 
willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should 
come  to  repentance."  (2  Peter  iii.  9.) 

There  is  no  need  whatsoever  for  seeking  to  avoid 
the  plain  sense  of  the  above  and  similar  passages. 
They  bear  a  clear  and  unequivocal  testimony  to  di- 
vine grace  toward  all,  without  the  slightest  reference 
to  man's  responsibility  on  the  one  hand,  or  to  God's 
eternal  counsels  on  the  other.  These  things  are  just 

20 


288  LEvmcus. 

as  clearly,  just  as  fully,  just  as  unequivocally,  taught 
in  the  Word.  Man  is  responsible  and  God  is  sover- 
eign. All  who  bow  to  Scripture  admit  these  things. 
But,  at  the  same  time,  it  is  of  the  very  last  import- 
ance to  recognize  the  wide  aspect  of  the  grace  of 
God  and  of  the  cross  of  Christ.  It  glorifies  God, 
and  leaves  man  wholly  without  excuse.  Men  argue 
about  God's  decrees  and  man's  incompetency  to  be- 
lieve without  divine  influence.  Their  arguments 
prove  that  they  do  not  want  God  ;  for  did  they  only 
want  Him,  He  is  near  enough  to  be  found  of  them. 
The  grace  of  God  and  the  atonement  of  Christ  are 
as  wide  as  they  could  desire.  '''•Any,"  '•'•every," 
'•'•ivhosoever,"  and  '•'•all"  are  God's  own  words  ;  and 
I  should  like  to  know  who  is  shut  out.  If  God  sends 
a  message  of  salvation  to  a  man,  He  surely  intends 
it  for  him ;  and  what  can  be  more  wicked  and  im- 
pious than  to  reject  God's  grace,  and  make  Him  a 
liar,  and  then  give  His  secret  decrees  as  a  reason 
for  so  doing?  It  would  be,  in  a  certain  sense,  honest 
for  a  man  to  say  at  once,  The  fact  is,  I  do  not  be- 
lieve God's  Word,  and  I  do  not  want  His  grace  or 
His  salvation.  One  could  understand  this  ;  but  for 
men  to  cover  their  hatred  of  God  and  His  truth  with 
the  drapery  of  a  false,  because  one-sided,  theology, 
is  the  very  highest  character  of  wickedness.  It  is 
such  as  to  make  us  feel,  of  a  truth,  that  the  devil  is 
never  more  diabolical  than  when  he  appears  with 
the  Bible  in  his  hand. 

If  it  be  true  that  men  are  prevented  by  God's 
secret  decrees  and  counsels  from  receiving  the  gos- 


CHAPTER   XVI.  289 

pel,  which  He  has  commanded  to  be  preached  to 
them,  then  on  what  principle  of  righteousness  will 
they  be  "punished  with  everlasting  destruction"  for 
not  obe}-ing  that  gospel?  (2  Thess.  i.  6-10.)  Is 
there  a  single  soul  throughout  all  the  gloomy  regions 
of  the  lost  who  blames  God's  counsels  for  his  being 
there  ?  Not  one.  Oh,  no ;  God  has  made  such 
ample  provision  in  the  atonement  of  Christ,  not  only 
for  the  salvation  of  those  that  believe,  but  also  for 
the  aspect  of  His  grace  toward  those  that  reject 
the  gospel,  that  there  is  no  excuse.  It  is  not  because 
a  man  cannot,  but  because  he  icill  not  believe  that 
he  "shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction." 
Never  was  there  a  more  fatal  mistake  than  for  a 
man  to  ensconce  himself  behind  God's  decrees,  while 
deliberately  and  intelligently  refusing  God's  grace  ; 
and  this  is  all  the  more  dangerous  because  supported 
by  the  dogmas  of  a  one-sided  theolog}-.  God's  grace 
is  free  to  all ;  and  if  we  ask,  How  is  this?  the  answer 
is,  "Jehovah's  lot" fell  upon  the  true  Victim,  in  order 
that  He  might  be  perfectly  glorified  as  to  sin,  in  its 
widest  aspect,  and  be  free  to  act  in  grace  toward  all, 
and  "preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  This 
grace  and  this  preaching  must  have  a  solid  basis, 
and  that  basis  is  found  in  the  atonement ;  and  though 
man  should  reject,  God  is  glorified  in  the  exercise 
of  grace  and  in  the  offer  of  salvation,  because  of  the 
basis  on  which  both  the  one  and  the  other  repose. 
He  is  glorified,  and  He  shall  be  glorified  through- 
out eternity's  countless  ages. — "Now  is  My  soul 
troubled;  and  what  shall  I  say?  Father,  save  Me 


290  LEVITICUS. 

from  this  hour:  but  for  this  cause  came  I  unto  this 
hour.  Father,  glorify  Thy  name.  Then  came  there 
a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  'I  have  both  glorified 
it,  and  will  glorify  it  again.'  ....  Now  is  the 
judgment  of  this  world:  now  shall  the  prince  of  this 
world  be  cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from 
the  earth,  will  draw  all  unto  Me."  (John  xii.  27-32.) 

Thus  far  we  have  been  occupied  only  with  one 
special  point,  namely,"  "the  goat  on  which  the 
Lord's  lot  fell;"  and  a  cursory  reader  might  sup- 
pose that  the  next  thing  in  order  would  be  the 
scape-goat,  which  gives  us  the  other  great  aspect  of 
the  death  of  Christ,  or  its  application  to  the  sins  of 
the  people.  But  no  ;  ere  we  come  to  that,  we  have 
the  fullest  confirmation  of  that  precious  line  of  truth 
which  has  been  before  us,  in  the  fact  that  the  blood 
of  the  slain  goat,  together  with  the  blood  of  the 
bullock,  was  sprinkled  upon  and  before  Jehovah's 
throne,  in  order  to  show  that  all  the  claims  of  that 
throne  were  answered  in  the  blood  of  atonement, 
and  full  provision  made  for  all  the  demands  of  God's 
moral  administration. 

"And  Aaron  shall  bring  the  bullock  of  the  sin- 
offering  which  is  for  himself,  and  shall  make  an 
atonement  for  himself,  and  for  his  house,  and  shall 
kill  the  bullock  of  the  sin-offering  which  is  for  him- 
self. And  he  shall  take  a  censer  full  of  burning 
coals  of  fire  from  off  the  altar  before  Lord,  and  his 
hands  full  of  sweet  incense  beaten  small,  and  bring 
it  within  the  vail.  And  he  shall  put  the  incense 
upon  the  fire  before  the  Lord,  that  the  cloud  of  the 


CHAPTER    XVI.  291 

incense  may  cover  the  mercy-seat  that  is  upon  the 
testimony,  that  he  die  not."  Here  we  have  a  most 
vivid  and  striking  presentation  indeed.  The  blood 
of  atonement  is  carried  in  within  the  vail,  into  the 
holiest  of  all,  and  there  sprinkled  upon  the  throne 
of  the  God  of  Israel.  The  cloud  of  the  divine  pres- 
ence was  there  ;  and  in  order  that  Aaron  might  ap- 
pear in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  gloiy  and  not 
die,  "the  cloud  of  incense"  ascends  and  "covers 
the  mercy-seat,"  on  which  the  blood  of  atonement 
was  to  be  sprinkled  "seven  times."  The  "sweet in- 
cense beaten  small"  expresses  the  fragrance  of 
Christ's  Person — the  sweet  order  of  His  most  pre- 
cious sacrifice. 

"And  he  shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the  bullock, 
and  sprinkle  it  with  his  finger  upon  the  mercy-seat 
eastward ;  and  before  the  mercy-seat  shall  he 
sprinkle  of  the  blood  with  his  finger  seven  times. 
Then  shall  he  kill  the  goat  of  the  sin-offering  that  is 
for  the  people,  and  bring  his  blood  within  the  vail, 
and  do  with  that  blood  as  he  did  with  the  blood  of 
the  bullock,  and  sprinkle  it  upon  the  mercy-seat,  and 
before  the  mercy-seat."  (Ver.  14,  15.)  "Seven" 
is  the  perfect  number ;  and  in  the  sprinkling  of  the 
blood  seven  times  before  the  mercy-seat,  we  learn 
that  whatever  be  the  application  of  the  atonement 
of  Christ,  whether  as  to  things,  to  places,  or  to  per- 
sons, it  is  perfectly  estimated  in  the  divine  presence. 
The  blood  which  secures  the  salvation  of  the  Church 
— the  "house"  of  the  true  Aaron  ;  the  blood  which 
secures  the  salvation  of  the  "congregation"  of  Is- 


292  LEVITICUS. 

rael ;  the  blood  which  secures  the  final  restoration 
and  blessedness  of  the  whole  creation — that  blood 
has  been  presented  before  God,  sprinkled  and  ac- 
cepted according  to  all  the  perfectness,  fragrance, 
and  preciousness  of  Christ.  In  the  power  of  that 
blood  God  can  accomplish  all  His  eternal  counsels 
of  grace.  He  can  save  the  Church,  and  raise  it  into 
the  very  loftiest  heights  of  glory  and  dignit}^  despite 
of  all  the  power  of  sin  and  Satan  ;  He  can  restore 
Israel's  scattered  tribes ;  He  can  unite  Judah  and 
Ephraim  ;  He  can  accomplish  all  the  promises  made 
to  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob;  He  can  save  and 
bless  untold  millions  of  the  Gentiles  ;  He  can  re- 
store and  bless  the  wide  creation  ;  He  can  allow  the 
beams  of  His  glory  to  lighten  up  the  universe  for- 
ever ;  He  can  display,  in  the  view  of  angels,  men, 
and  devils,  His  own  eternal  glory — the  glory  of  His 
character,  the  glory  of  His  nature,  the  glory  of  His 
works,  the  glory  of  His  government, — all  this  He 
can  do,  and  will  do ;  but  the  one  solitary  pedestal 
upon  which  the  stupendous  fabric  of  glory  shall  rest 
forever,  is  the  blood  of  the  cross — that  precious 
blood,  dear  Christian  reader,  which  has  spoken 
peace — divine  and  everlasting  peace — to  }*our  heart 
and  conscience,  in  the  presence  of  Infinite  Holiness. 
The  blood  which  is  sprinkled  upon  the  believer's 
conscience  has  been  sprinkled  "seven  times"  before 
the  throne  of  God.  The  nearer  we  get  to  God,  the 
more  importance  and  value  we  find  attached  to  the 
blood  of  Jesus.  If  we  look  at  the  brazen  altar,  we 
find  the  blood  there  ;  if  we  look  at  the  brazen  laver, 


CHAPTER    XVI.  293 

( 

we  find  the  blood  there ;  if  we  look  at  the  golden 
altar,  we  find  the  blood  there  ;  if  we  look  at  the  vail 
of  the  tabernacle,  we  find  the  blood  there:  but  in 
no  place  do  we  find  so  much  about  the  blood  as 
within  the  vail,  before  Jehovah's  throne,  in  the  im- 
mediate presence  of  the  divine  glory. 

"In  heaven  His  blood  forever  speaks, 
In  God  the  Father's  ears." 

4 'And  he  shall  make  an  atonement  for  the  holy 
place,  because  of  the  uncleanness  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  because  of  their  transgressions  in  all 
their  sins :  and  so  shall  ire  do  for  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  that  remaineth  among  them  in  the 
midst  of  their  uncleanness."  The  same  truth  meets 
us  all  along.  The  claims  of  the  sanctuary  must 
be  provided  for.  Jehovah's  courts,  as  well  as  His 
throne,  must  bear  witness  to  the  value  of  the  blood. 
The  tabernacle,  in  the  midst  of  Israel's  uncleanness, 
must  be  fenced  round  about  by  the  divine  provisions 
of  atonement.  Jehovah  provided,  in  all  things,  for 
His  own  gloiy.  The  priests  and  their  priestly 
service,  the  place  of  worship  and  all  therein,  must 
stand  in  the  power  of  the  blood.  The  Holy  One 
could  not  have  remained  for  a  moment  in  the  midst 
of  the  congregation  were  it  not  for  the  power  of  the 
blood.  It  was  that  which  left  Him  free  to  dwell  and 
act  and  rule  in  the  midst  of  an  erring  people. 

"And  there  shall  be  no  man  in  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation  when  he  goeth  in  to  make  an  atone- 
ment in  the  holy  place,  until  he  come  out,  and  have 
made  an  atonement  for  himself,  and  for  his  house- 


294  LEVITICUS. 

hold,  and  for  all  the  congregation  of  Israel."  (Ver. 
17.)  Aaron  needed  to  offer  tip  sacrifice  for  his  own 
sins,  as  well  as  for  the  sins  of  the  people.  He  could 
only  enter  into  the  sanctuary  in  the  power  of  the 
blood.  We  have,  in  verse  17,  a  type  of  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ  in  its  application  both  to  the  Church 
and  to  the  congregation  of  Israel.  The  Church  now 
enters  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  (Heb. 
x.)  As  to  Israel,  the  vail  is  still  on  their  hearts. 
(2  Cor.  iii. )  They  are  still  at  a  distance,  although 
full  provision  has  been  made  in  the  cross  for  their 
forgiveness  and  restoration  when  they  shall  turn  to 
the  Lord.  This  entire  period  is,  properly  speaking, 
the  day  of  atonement.  The  true  Aaron  is  gone  in, 
with  His  own  blood,  into  heaven  itself,  now  to  ap- 
pear in  the  presence  of  God  for  us.  By  and  by  He 
•will  come  forth  to  lead  the  congregation  of  Israel 
into  the  full  results  of  His  accomplished  work. 
Meanwhile,  His  house — that  is  to  say,  all  true  be- 
lievers— is  associated  with  Him,  having  boldness 
to  enter  into  the  holiest,  being  brought  nigh  by  the 
blood  of  Jesus. 

"And  he  shall  go  out  unto  the  altar  that  is  before 
the  Lord,  and  make  an  atonement  for  it ;  and  shall 
take  of  the  blood  of  the  bullock,  and  of  the  blood 
of  the  goat,  and  put  it  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar 
round  about.  And  he  shall  sprinkle  of  the  blood 
upon  it  with  his  finger  seven  times,  and  cleanse  it, 
and  hallow  it  from  the  uncleanness  of  the  children 
of  Israel.  (Ver.  18,  19.)  Thus  the  atoning  blood 
was  sprinkled  every  where,  from  the  throne  of  God 


CHAPTER    XVI.  295 

within  the  vail,  to  the  altar  which  stood  in  the  court 
of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  "It  was 
therefore  necessary  that  the  patterns  of  things  in 
the  heavens  should  be  purified  with  these,  but  the 
heavenly  things  themselves  with  better  sacrifices 
than  these.  For  Christ  is  not  entered  into  the  holy 
places  made  with  hands,  which  are  the  figures  of  the 
true ;  but  into  heaven  itself,  now  to  appear  in  the 
presence  of  God  for  us:  nor  yet  that  He  should 
offer  Himself  often,  as  the  high-priest  entereth  into 
the  holy  place  every  year  with  blood  of  others  ;  for 
then  must  He  often  have  suffered  since  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world ;  but  now  once  in  the  end  of  the 
world  [at  the  end  of  every  thing  earthl}*,  every  thing 
human]  hath  He  appeared  to  put  away  sin  by  the 
sacrifice  of  Himself.  And  as  it  is  appointed  unto 
men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  the  judgment;  so 
Christ  was  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many ; 
and  unto  them  that  look  for  Him  shall  He  appear 
the  second  time  without  sin  uato  salvation."  (Heb. 
ix.  23-28.) 

There  is  but  one  way  into  the  holiest  of  all,  and 
that  is  a  blood-sprinkled  way.  It  is  vain  to  strive 
to  enter  by  any  other.  Men  may  attempt  to  work 
themselves  in,  to  pr.ay  themselves  in,  to  buy  them- 
selves in,  to  get  in  by  a  pathway  of  ordinances,  or 
it  may  be,  of  half  ordinances,  half  Christ ;  but  it  is 
of  no  use.  God  speaks  of  one  wajT,  and  but  one, 
and  that  way  has  been  thrown  open  through  the  rent 
vail  of  the  Saviour's  flesh.  Along  that  wa}r  have  the 
millions  of  the  saved  passed,  from  age  to  age ;  pa- 


296  LEVITICUS; 

triarehs,  prophets,  apostles,  martyrs,  saints  in  every 
age,  from  Abel  downwards,  have  trod  that  blessed 
way,  and  found  thereby  sure  and  undisputed  access. 
The  one  sacrifice  of  the  cross  is  divinely  sufficient 
for  all.  God  asks  no  more,  and  He  can  take  no  less. 
To  add  aught  thereto  is  to  cast  dishonor  upon  that 
with  which  God  has  declared  Himself  well  pleased, 
yea,  in  which  He  is  infinitely  glorified :  to  diminish 
aught  therefrom  is  to  deny  man's  guilt  and  ruin, 
and  offer  an  indignity  to  the  justice  and  majesty  of 
the  eternal  Trinity. 

"And  when  he  hath  made  an  end  of  reconciling 
the  holy  place,  and  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion, and  the  altar,  he  shall  bring  the  live  goat. 
And  Aaron  shall  lay  both  his  hands  upon  the  head 
of  the  live  goat,  and  confess  over  him  all  the  iniqui- 
ties of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  all  their  trans- 
gressions in  all  their  sins,  putting  them  upon  the 
head  of  the  goat,  and  shall  send  him  away  by  the 
hand  of  a  fit  man  into  the  wilderness.  And  ths 
goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all  their  iniquities  unto  a 
land  not  inhabited ;  and  he  shall  let  go  the  goat  in 
the  wilderness." 

Here,  then,  we  have  the  other  grand  idea  attached 
to  the  death  of  Christ,  namely,  the  full  and  final 
forgiveness  of  the  people.  If  the  death  of  Christ 
forms  the  foundation  of  the  glory  of  God,  it  also 
forms  the  foundation  of  the  perfect  forgiveness  of 
sins  to  all  who  put  their  trust  in  it.  This  latter, 
blessed  be  God,  is  but  a  secondary — an  inferior  ap- 
plication of  the  atonement,  though  our  foolish  hearts 


CHAPTER  xvi.  297 

would  fain  regard  it  as  the  very  highest  possible 
view  of  the  cross  to  see  in  it  that  which  puts  away 
all  our  sins.  This  is  a  mistake.  God's  glory  is  the 
first  thing,  our  salvation  is  the  second.  To  maintain 
God's  glory  was  the  chief — the  darling  object  of  the 
heart  of  Christ.  This  object  He  pursued  from  first 
to  last,  with  an  undeviating  purpose  and  unflinching 
fidelit}r.  "Therefore  doth  My  Father  love  Me, 
because  I  lay  down  My  life,  that  I  might  take  it 
again."  (John  x.  17.)  "Now  is  the  Son  of  Man 
glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  Him.  If  God  be 
glorified  in  Him,  God  shall  also  glorify  Him  in  Him- 
self, and  shall  straightway  glorify  Him."  (Jolmxiii. 
31,  32.)  "Listen,  O  isles,  unto  Me  ;  and  hearken, 
ye  people  from  far :  the  Lord  hath  called  Me  from 
the  womb  ;  from  the  bowels  of  My  mother  hath  He 
made  mention  of  My  name.  And  He  hath  made 
My  mouth  like  a  sharp  sword  ;  in  the  shadow  of  His 
hand  hath  He  hid  Me,  and  made  Me  a  polished 
shaft :  in  His  quiver  hath  He  hid  Me  ;  and  said  unto 
Me,  'Thou  art  My  Servant,  O  Israel,  in  whom  / 
will  be  glorified.' "  (Isaiah  xlix.  1-3.) 

Thus  the  glory  of  God  was  the  paramount  object 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  life  and  in  death.  He 
lived  and  died  to  glorify  His  Father's  name.  Does 
the  Church  lose  aught  by  this  ?  Nay.  Does  Israel? 
Na}^.  Do  the  Gentiles?  Na}T.  In  no  way  could 
their  salvation  and  blessedness  be  so  perfectly  pro- 
vided for  as  by  being  made  subsidiary  to  the  glory 
of  God.  Hearken  to  the  divine  response  to  Christ, 
the  true  Israel,  in  the  sublime  passage  just  quoted. 


298  LEVITICUS. 

4 'It  is  a  light  thing  that  Thou  shouldest  be  My 
Servant  to  raise  up  the  tribes  of  Jacob,  and  to  re- 
store the  preserved  of  Israel :  I  will  also  give  Thee 
for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles,  that  Thou  mayest  be  My 
salvation  to  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

And  is  it  not  a  blessed  thing  to  know  that  God  is 
glorified  in  the  putting  away  of  our  sins  ?  We  may 
ask,  Where  are  our  sins  ?  Put  away.  By  what  ? 
By  that  act  of  Christ  upon  the  cross,  in  which  God 
lias  been  eternally  glorified.  Thus  it  is.  The  two 
goats,  on  the  day  of  atonement,  give  the  double 
aspect  of.  the  one  act.  In  the  one,  we  see  God's 
glory  maintained  ;  in  the  other,  sins  put  awa}T.  The 
one  is  as  perfect  as  the  other.  We  are  as  perfectly, 
forgiven  as  God  is  perfectly  glorified,  by  the  death 
of  Christ.  Was  there  one  single  point  in  which  God 
was  not  glorified  in  the  cross  ?  Not  one.  Neither 
is  there  one  single  point  in  which  we  are  not  perfectly 
forgiven.  I  say  "  we  ;  "  for  albeit  the  congregation 
of  Israel  is  the  primary  object  contemplated  in  the 
beautiful  and  impressive  ordinance  of  the  scape- 
goat, j'et  does  it  hold  good,  in  the  fullest  wa}T,  with 
respect  to  every  soul  that  believes  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  that  he  is  as  perfectly  forgiven  as  God  is 
perfectly  glorified,  by  the  atonement  of  the  cross. 
How  many  of  the  sins  of  Israel  did  the  scape-goat 
bear  away?  11AIL"  Precious  word  !  Not  one  left 
behind.  And  whither  did  he  bear  them  ?  "Into  a 
land  not  inhabited" — a  land  where  they  could  never 
be  found,  because  there  was  no  one  there  to  look  for 
them.  Could  any  type  be  more  perfect  ?  could  we 


"CHAPTER    XVI.  299 

possibly  have  a  more  graphic  picture  of  Christ's  ac- 
complished sacrifice,  in  its  primary  and  secondary 
aspects  ?  Impossible.  We  can  hang  with  intense 
admiration  over  such  a  picture,  and  as  we  gaze,  ? 
exclaim,  Of  a  truth,  the  pencil  of  the  Master  is 
here  ! 

Reader,  pause  here,  and  say,  do  you  know  that  all 
your  sins  are  forgiven,  according  to  the  perfection 
of  Christ's  sacrifice  ?  If  you  simply  believe  on  His 
name,  they  are  so, — they  are  all  gone,  and  gone  for- 
ever. Say  not,  as  so  many  anxious  souls  do,  "I 
fear  I  do  not  realize."  There  is  no  such  word  as 
"realize"  in  the  entire  gospel.  We  are  not  saved 
by  realization,  but  by  Christ;  and  the  way  to  get 
Christ  in  all  His  fullness  and  preciousness  is  to  be- 
lieve— "only  believe!  "  And  what  will  be  the  result? 
"The  worshipers  once  purged  should  have  no  more 
conscience  of  sins."  Observe  this, — "No  more 
conscience  of  sins."  This  must  be  the  result,  inas- 
much as  Christ's  sacrifice  is  perfect — so  perfect,  that 
God  is  glorified  therein.  Now,  it  must  be  obvious 
to  you  that  Christ's  work  does  not  need  }*our  reali- 
zation to  be  added  to  it  to  make  it  perfect.  This 
could  not  be.  We  might  as  well  say  that  the  work 
of  creation  was  not  complete  until  Adam  realized  it 
in  the  garden  of  Eden.  True,  he  did  realize;  but 
what  did  he  realize  ?  A  perfect  work.  Thus  let  it 
be  with  3'our  precious  soul  this  moment,  if  it  has 
never  been  so  before.  May  you  now  and  evermore 
repose,  in  artless  simplicity,  upon  the  One  who  has, 
by  one  offering,  perfected  forever  them  that  are 


300  LEVITICUS. 

sanctified.  And  how  are  they  sanctified  ?  Is  it 
by  realization  ?  By  no  means.  How  then  ?  By  the 
perfect  work  of  Christ. 

Having  sought  (alas !  most  feebly)  to  unfold  the 
doctrine  of  this  marvelous  chapter,  so  far  as  God 
has  given  me  light  upon  it,  there  is  just  one  point 
further  to  which  I  shall  merely  call  my  reader's  at- 
tention ere  I  close  this  section.  It  is  contained  in 
the  following  quotation:  "And  this  shall  be  a  stat- 
ute forever  unto  3rou,  that  in  the  seventh  month,  on 
the  tenth  day  of  the  month,  ye  shall  afflict  your 
souls,  and  do  no  work  at  all,  whether  it  be  one  of 
your  own  country  or  a  stranger  that  sojourneth 
among  you.  For  on  that  day  shall  the  priest  make 
an  atonement  for  you,  to  cleanse  you,  that  ye  may 
be  clean  from  all  your  sins  before  the  Lord.  It  shall 
be  a  Sabbath  of  rest,  and  ye  shall  afflict  your  souls, 
by  a  statute  forever."  (Ver.  29-31.) 

This  shall  have  its  full  accomplishment  in  the 
saved  remnant  of  Israel  by  and  by,  as  foretold  by 
the  prophet  Zechariah, — "And  I  will  pour  upon  the 
house  of  David,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplications ;  and 
they  shall  look  upon  Me  whom  they  have  pierced, 
and  they  shall  mourn  for  Him,  as  one  inourneth  for 
his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness  for  Him,  as 
one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  first-born.  In  that 
day  shall  there  be  a  great  mourning  in  Jerusalem,  as 
the  mourning  of  Hadadrimmon  in  the  valley  of 

Megiddon In  that  day  there  shall  be  a 

fountain  opened  to  the  house  of  David,  and  to  the 


CHAPTER   XVI.  301 

inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  for  unclean- 
ness And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day 

that  the  light  shall  not  be  clear  [in  one  place]  and 
dark  [in  another]  ;  but  it  shall  be  one  day,  [the 
true  and  long-expected  Sabbath,]  which  shall  be 
known  to  the  Lord,  not  day  nor  night ;  but  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  at  evening  time  it  shall  be  light. 
And  it  shall  be  in  that  day  that  living  waters  shall 
go  out  from  Jerusalem ;  half  of  them  toward  the 
former  sea,  and  half  of  them  toward  the  hinder  sea : 
in  summer  and  in  winter  shall  it  be.  And  THE  LORD 
SHALL  BE  KING  OVER  ALL  THE  EARTH:  in  that  day 

shall  there  be  one  Lord,  and  His  name  one 

In  that  day  shall  there  be  upon   the   bells   of  the 

horses,  HOLINESS  UNTO  THE  LORD 

And  in  that  day  there  shall  be  no  more  the  Canaanite 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord  of  hosts."  (Zech.  xii.-xiv. ) 
What  a  day  that  will  be !  No  marvel  that  it 
should  be  so  frequently  and  so  emphatically  intro- 
duced in  the  above  glowing  passage.  It  will  be  a 
bright  and  blessed  "Sabbath  of  rest"  when  the 
mourning  remnant  shall  gather,  in  the  spirit  of  true 
penitence,  around  the  open  fountain,  and  enter  into 
the  full  and  final  results  of  the  great  day  of  atone- 
ment. They  shall  "afflict  their  souls,"  no  doubt; 
for  how  could  they  do  otherwise,  while  fixing  their  re- 
pentant gaze  "upon  Him  whom  they  have  pierced" ? 
But,  oh,  what  a  Sabbath  they  will  have  !  Jerusalem 
will  have  a  brimming  cup  of  salvation,  after  her  long 
and  dreary  night  of  sorrow.  Her  former  desolations 
shall  be  forgotten,  and  her  children,  restored  to  their 


302  LEVITICUS. 

long-lost  dwellings,  shall  take  down  their  harps  from 
the  willows,  and  sing  once  more  the  sweet  songs  of 
Zion,  beneath  the  peaceful  shade  of  the  vine  and 
fig-tree. 

Blessed  be  God,  the  time  is  at  hand.  Every  set- 
ting sun  brings  us  nearer  to  that  blissful  Sabbath. 
The  word  is,  ''Surely,  I  come  quickly;"  and  all 
around  seems  to  tell  us  that  "the  days  are  at  hand, 
and  the  effect  of  every  vision."  May  we  be  "sober, 
and  watch  unto  prayer."  May  we  keep  ourselves 
unspotted  from  the  world  ;  and  thus,  in  the  spirit  of 
our  minds,  the  affections  of  our  hearts,  and  the  ex- 
perience of  our  souls,  be  ready  to  meet  the  heavenly 
Bridegroom.  Our  place  for  the  present  is  outside 
the  camp.  Thank  God  that  it  is  so !  It  would  be 
an  unspeakable  loss  to  be  inside.  The  same  cross 
which  has  brought  us  inside  the  vail  has  cast  us  out- 
side the  camp.  Christ  was  cast  out  thither,  and  we 
are  with  Him  there ;  but  He  has  been  received  up 
into  heaven,  and  we  are  with  Him  there.  Is  it  not 
a  mercy  to  be  outside  of  all  that  which  has  rejected 
our  blessed  Lord  and  Master?  Truly  so  ;  and  the 
more  we  know  of  Jesus,  and  the  more  we  know  of 
this  present  evil  world,  the  more  thankful  we  shall 
be  to  find  our  place  outside  of  it  all  with  Him. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

IN  this  chapter  the  reader  will   find   two   special 
points,  namely,  first,  that  life  belongs  to  Jeho- 
vah ;  and  secondly,  that  the  power  of  atonement  is 


CHAPTER   XVII.  303 

in  the  blood.  The  Lord  attached  peculiar  import- 
ance to  both  these  things.  He  would  have  them 
impressed  upon  every  member  of  the  congregation. 

"  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  sa\*ing,  'Speak 
unto  Aaron,  and  unto  his  sons,  and  unto  all  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  This  is  the 
thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded,  saying, 
What  man  soever  there  be  of  the  house  of  Israel, 
that  killeth  an  ox,  or  lamb,  or  goat,  in  the  camp,  or 
that  killeth  it  out  of  the  camp,  and  bringeth  it  not 
unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
to  offer  an  offering  unto  the  Lord,  before  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  Lord  ;  blood  shall  be  imputed  unto  that 
man  ;  he  hath  shed  blood ;  and  that  man  shall  be 
cut  off  from  among  his  people."  This  was  a  most 
solemn  matter ;  and  we  may  ask  what  was  involved 
in  offering  a  sacrifice  otherwise  than  in  the  manner 
here  prescribed.  It  was  nothing  less  than  robbing 
Jehovah  of  His  rights,  and  presenting  to  Satan  that 
which  was  due  to  God.  A  man  might  say,  Can  I 
not  offer  a  sacrifice  in  one  place  as  well  as  another? 
The  answer  is,  Life  belongs  to  God,  and  His  claim 
thereto  must  be  recognized  in  the  place  which  He 
has  appointed — before  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord. 
That  was  the  only  meeting-place  between  God  and 
man.  To  offer  elsewhere  proved  that  the  heart  did 
not  want  God. 

The  moral  of  this  is  plain.     There  is  one  place 

where  God  has  appointed  to  meet  the  sinner,  and 

that  is  the  cross — the  antitype  of  the  brazen  altar. 

There  and  there  alone  has  God's  claims  upon  the 

21 


304  LEVITICUS. 

life  been  duly  recognized.  To  reject  this  meeting- 
place  is  to  bring  down  judgment  upon  one's  self — it 
is  to  trample  under  foot  the  just  claims  of  God,  and 
to  arrogate  to  one's  self  aright  to  life  which  all  have 
forfeited.  It  is  important  to  see  this. 

44  And  the  priest  shall  sprinkle  the  blood  upon  the 
altar  of  the  Lord,  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  and  burn  the  fat  for  a  sweet  savor 
unto  the  Lord."  The  blood  and  the  fat  belonged 
to  God.  The  blessed  Jesus  fully  recognized  this. 
He  surrendered  His  life  to  God,  and  all  His  hidden 
energies  were  devoted  to  Him  likewise.  He  volun- 
tarily walked  to  the  altar  and  there  gave  up  His 
precious  life  ;  and  the  fragrant  odor  of  His  intrinsic 
excellency  ascended  to  the  throne  of  God.  Blessed 
Jesus !  it  is  sweet,  at  every  step  of  our  way,  to  be 
reminded  of  Thee. 

The  second  point  above  referred  to  is  clearly 
stated  in  verse  11. — "For  the  life  of  the  flesh  is  in 
the  blood  ;  and  I  have  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar, 
to  make  an  atonement  for  your  souls,  for  IT  is  THE 

BLOOD    THAT    MAKETH  AN  ATONEMENT    FOR  THE  SOUL." 

The  connection  between  the  two  points  is  deeply 
interesting.  When  man  duly'  takes  his  place  as  one 
possessing  no  title  whatsoever  to  life — when  he  fully 
recognizes  God's  claims  upon  him,  then  the  divine 
record  is,  "I  have  given  you  the  life  to  make  an 
atonement  fovyour  soul."  Yes  ;  atonement  is  God's 
gift  to  man  ;  and  be  it  carefully  noted  that  this 
atonement  is  in  the  blood,  and  only  in  the  blood. 
44 It  is  the  blood  that  maketh  an  atonement  for  the 


CHAPTER    XVII.  305 

soul."  It  is  not  the  blood  and  something  else.  The 
word  is  most  explicit.  It  attributes  atonement 
exclusively  to  the  blood.  "Without  shedding  of 
blood  is  no  remission."  (Heb.  ix.  22.)  It  was  the 
death  of  Christ  that  rent  the  vail.  It  is  "by  the 
blood  of  Jesus"  we  have  "boldness  to  enter  into 
the  holiest."  "We  have  redemption  through  His 
blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins."  (Eph.  i.  7  ^  Col.  i. 
14.)  "Having  made  peace  by  the  blood  of  His 
cross."  "Ye  who  were  afar  off  are  made  nigh  by 
the  blood  of  His  cross."  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  (1  John  i.  7.) 
"They  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  (Rev.  vii.)  "They  over- 
came him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  (Rev.  xii.) 

I  would  desire  to  call  my  reader's  earnest  atten- 
tion to  the  precious  and  vital  doctrine  of  the  blood. 
I  am  anxious  that  he  should  see  its  true  place.  The 
blood  of  Christ  is  the  foundation  of  every  thing.  It 
is  the  ground  of  God's  righteousness  in  justifying 
an  ungodly  sinner  that  believes  on  the  name  of  the 
Son  of  God ;  and  it  is  the  ground  of  the  sinner's 
confidence  in  drawing  nigh  to  a  holy  God,  who  is  of 
purer  e}'es  than  to  behold  evil.  God  would  be  just 
in  the  condemnation  of  the  sinner ;  but  through  the 
death  of  Christ,  He  can  be  just  and  the  justifier  of 
him  that  believe th — a  just  God  and  a  Saviour.  The 
righteousness  of  God  is  His  consistency  with  Him- 
self— His  acting  in  harmony  with  His  revealed  char- 
acter. Hence,  were  it  not  for  the  cross,  His  con- 
sistency with  Himself  would,  of  necessity,  demand 


306  •  LEVITICUS. 

the  death  and  judgment  of  the  sinner;  but  in  the 
cross,  that  death  and  judgment  were  borne  by  the 
sinner's  Suret}",  so  that  the  same  divine  consistency 
is  perfectly  maintained,  while  a  holy  God  justifies 
an  ungodly  sinner  through  faith.  It  is  all  through 
the  blood  of  Jesus — nothing  less,  nothing  more,  no- 
thing different.  ';It  is  the  blood  that  maketh  an 
atonement  for  the  soul."  This  is  conclusive.  This 
is  God's  simple  plan  of  justification.  Man's  plan  is 
much  more  cumbrous,  much  more  roundabout.  And 
not  only  is  it  cumbrous  and  roundabouf,  but  it  at- 
tributes righteousness  to  something  quite  different 
from  what  I  find  in  the  Word.  If  I  look  from  the 
third  chapter  of  Genesis  down  to  the  close  of  Reve- 
lation, I  find  the  blood  of  Christ  put  forward  as  the 
alone  ground  of  righteousness.  We  get  pardon, 
peace,  life,  righteousness — all  by  the  blood,  and  no- 
thing but  the  blood.  The  entire  book  of  Leviticus, 
and  particularly  the  chapter  upon  which  we  have 
just  been  meditating,  is  a  commentary  upon  the 
doctrine  of  the  blood.  It  seems  strange  to  have  to 
insist  upon  a  fact  so  obvious  to  every  dispassionate, 
teachable  student  of  holy  Scripture ;  yet  so  it  is. 
Our  minds  are  prone  to  slip  away  from  the  plain 
testimony  of  the  Word.  We  are  ready  to  adopt 
opinions  without  ever  calmly  investigating  them  in 
the  light  of  the  divine  testimonies.  In  this  way  we 
get  into  confusion,  darkness,  and  error. 

May  we  all  learn  to  give  the  blood  of  Christ  its 
due  place.  It  is  so  precious  in  God's  sight  that  He 
will  not  suffer  aught  else  to  be  added  to  or  mingled 


CHAPTERS    XVIII. -XX.  307 

with  it.  "The  life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood,  and 
I  have  given  it  to  3*011  upon  the  altar,  to  make  an 
atonement  for  your  souls:  for  it  is  the  blood  that 
maketh  an  atonement  for  the  soul." 


CHAPTERS  XVIII.— XX. 

THIS  section  sets  before  us,  in  a  very  remarkable 
manner,  the  personal  sanctity  and  moral  pro- 
priety which  Jehovah  looked  for  on  the  part  of  those 
whom  He  had  graciously  introduced  into  relationship 
with  Himself ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  it  presents  a 
most  humiliating  picture  of  the  enormities  of  which 
human  nature  is  capable. 

''And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  lam 
the  Lord  your  God."'  Here  we  have  the  foundation 
of  the  entire  superstructure  of  moral  conduct  which 
these  chapters  present.  Israel's  actings  were  to 
take  their  character  from  the  fact  that  Jehovah  was 
their  God.  They  were  called  to  comport  themselves 
in  a  manner  worthy  of  so  high  and  holy  a  position. 
It  was  God's  prerogative  to  set  forth  the  special 
character  and  line  of  conduct  becoming  a  people 
with  whom  He  was  pleased  to  associate  His  name. 
Hence  the  frequency  of  the  expressions,  "I  am  the 
Lord,"  "I  am  the  Lord  your  God,"  "I  the  Lord 
your  God  am  holy."  Jehovah  was  their  God,  and 
He  was  holy  ;  hence,  therefore,  they  were  called  to 
be  holy  likewise.  His  name  was  involved  in  their 
character  and  acting. 


308  LEVITICUS. 

This  is  the  true  principle  of  holiness  for  the  people 
of  God  in  all  ages.  They  are  to  be  governed  and 
characterized  by  the  revelation  which  He  lias  made 
of  Himself.  Their  conduct  is  to  be  founded  upon 
what  He  is,  not  upon  what  they  are  in  themselves. 
This  entirely  sets  aside  the  principle  expressed  in 
the  words,  "Stand  by  thyself,  I  am  holier  than 
thou;"  a  principle  so  justly  repudiated  by  every 
sensitive  mind.  It  is  not  a  comparison  of  one  man 
with  another,  but  a  simple  statement  of  the  line  of 
conduct  which  God  looks  for  in  those  who  belong 
to  Him.  "After  the  doings  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
wherein  ye  dwelt,  shall  ye  not  do ;  and  after  the 
doings  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  whither  I  bring  you, 
shall  ye  not  do  ;  neither  shall  ye  walk  in  their  ordi- 
nances." The  Eg}rptians  and  the  Canaanites  were 
all  wrong.  How  was  Israel  to  know  this?  Who  told 
them  ?  How  came  they  to  be  right  and  all  besides 
wrong?  These  are  interesting  inquiries;  and  the 
answer  is  as  simple  as  the  questions  are  interesting. 
Jehovah's  Word  was  the  standard  by  which  all  ques- 
tions of  right  and  wrong  were  to  be  definitely  set- 
tled in  the  judgment  of  every  member  of  the  Israel 
of  God.  It  was  not,  by  any  means,  the  judgment 
of  an  Israelite  in  opposition  to  the  judgment  of  an 
Egyptian  or  of  a  Canaanite ;  but  it  was  the  judg- 
ment of  God  above  all.  Egypt  might  have  her 
practices  and  her  opinions,  and  so  might  Canaan ; 
but  Israel  were  to  have  the  opinions  and  practices 
laid  down  in  the  Word  of  God.  "Ye  shall  do  My 
judgments,  and  keep  Mine  ordinances,  to  walk 


CHAPTERS    XVIII. -XX.  309 

therein:  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  Ye  shall  there- 
fore keep  My  statutes  and  My  judgments  ;  which,  if 
a  man  do,  he  shall  live  in  them  :  I  am  the  Lord." 

It  will  be  well  for  my  reader  to  get  a  clear,  deep, 
full,  practical  sense  of  this  truth.  The  Word  of 
God  must  settle  every  question  and  govern  every 
conscience :  there  must  be  no  appeal  from  its  sol- 
emn and  weighty  decision.  When  God  speaks, 
every  heart  must  bow.  Men  may  form  and  hold 
their  opinions ;  they  may  adopt  and  defend  their 
practices  ;  but  one  of  the  finest  traits  in  the  charac- 
ter of  "the  Israel  of  God"  is,  profound  reverence 
for,  and  implicit  subjection  to,  "every  word  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord.  The 
exhibition  of  this  valuable  feature  may  perhaps  lay 
them  open  to  the  charge  of  dogmatism,  supercilious- 
ness, and  self-sufficiency,  on  the  part  of  those  who 
have  never  duly  weighed  the  matter ;  but,  in  truth, 
nothing  can  be  more  unlike  dogmatism  than  simple 
subjection  to  the  plain  truth  of  God  ;  nothing  more 
unlike  superciliousness  than  reverence  for  the  state- 
ments of  inspiration  ;  nothing  more  unlike  self- 
sufficiency  than  subjection  to  the  divine  authority 
of  holy  Scripture. 

True,  there  will  ever  be  the  need  of  carefulness 
as  to  the  tone  and  manner  in  which  we  set  forth  the 
authority  for  our  convictions  and  our  conduct.  It 
must  be  made  manifest,  so  far  as  it  may  be,  that  we 
are  wholly  governed,  not  by  our  own  opinions,  but 
by  the  Word  of  God.  There  is  great  clanger  of 
attaching  an  importance  to  an  opinion  merely  be- 


310  IEVITICUS. 

cause  we  have  adopted  it.  This  must  be  carefully 
guarded  against.  Self  may  creep  in  and  display  its 
deformity  in  the  defense  of  our  opinions  as  much  as 
in  any  thing  else  ;  but  we  must  disallow  it  in  every 
shape  and  form,  and  be  governed  in  all  things  by 
"Thus  saith  the  Lord." 

But  then  we  are  not  to  expect  that  every  one  will 
be  ready  to  admit  the  full  force  of  the  divine  statutes 
and  judgments.  It  is  as  persons  walk  in  the  integ- 
rity and  energy  of  the  divine  nature  that  the  Word 
of  God  will  be  owned,  appreciated,  and  reverenced. 
An  Eg}rptian  or  a  Canaanite  would  have  been  wholly 
unable  to  enter  into  the  meaning  or  estimate  the 
value  of  these  statutes  and  judgments,  which  were 
to  govern  the  conduct  of  the  circumcised  people  of 
God  ;  but  that  did  not  in  any  wise  affect  the  ques- 
tion of  Israel's  obedience.  They  were  brought  into 
a  certain  relationship  with  Jehovah,  and  that  rela- 
tionship had  its  distinctive  privileges  and  responsi- 
bilities. "I  am  the  Lord  your  God."  This  was  to 
be  the  ground  of  their  conduct.  They  were  to  act 
in  a  way  worthy  of  the  One  who  had  become  their 
God,  and  made  them  His  people.  It  was  not  that 
they  wrere  a  whit  better  than  other  people.  By  no 
means.  The  Eg}'ptians  or  Canaanites  might  have 
considered  that  the  Israelites  were  setting  them- 
selves up  as  something  superior  in  refusing  to  adopt 
the  habits  of  either  nation.  But  no  ;  the  foundation 
of  their  peculiar  line  of  conduct  and  tone  of  morality 
was  laid  in  these  words  :  u/  am  the  Lord  your  God." 

In  this  great  and  practically  important  fact,  Je- 


CHAPTERS    XVIII. -XX.  311 

hovah  set  before  His  people  a  ground  of  conduct 
which  was  immovable,  and  a  standard  of  morality 
•which  was  as  elevated  and  as  enduring  as  the  eternal 
throne  itself.  The  moment  He  entered  into  a  rela- 
tionship with  a  people,  their  ethics  were  to  assume  a 
character  and  tone  worthy  of  Him.  It  was  no  longer 
a  question  as  to  what  they  were,  either  in  themselves 
or  in  comparison  with  others  ;  but  of  what  God  was 
in  comparison  with  all.  This  makes  a  material  dif- 
ference. To  make  self  the  ground  of  action  or  the 
standard  of  ethics  is  not  only  presumptuous  folly, 
but  it  is  sure  to  set  one  upon  a  descending  scale  of 
action.  If  self  be  my  object,  I  must,  of  necessity, 
sink  lower  and  lower  every  day  ;  but  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  I  set  the  Lord  before  me,  I  shall  rise  higher 
and  higher  as,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  I 
grow  in  conformity  to  that  perfect  model  which  is 
unfolded  to  the  gaze  of  faith  in  the  sacred  pages  of 
inspiration.  I  shall  undoubtedly  have  to  prostrate 
myself  in  the  dust,  under  a  sense  of  how  infinitely 
short  I  come  of  the  mark  set  before  me  ;  but  then 
I  can  never  consent  to  the  setting  up  of  a  lower 
standard,  nor  can  I  ever  be  satisfied  until  I  am  con- 
formed in  all  things  to  Him  who  was  my  substitute 
on  the  cross,  and  is  my  model  in  the  glory. 

Having  said  thus  much  on  the  main  principle  of 
the  section  before  us — a  principle  of  unspeakable 
importance  to  Christians,  in  a  practical  point  of 
view,  I  feel  it  needless  to  enter  into  any  thing  like 
a  detailed  exposition  of  statutes  which  speak  for 
themselves  in  most  obvious  terms.  I  would  merely 


312  LEVITICUS. 

remark  that  those  statutes  range  themselves  under 
two  distinct  heads,  namely,  first,  those  which  set 
forth  the  shameful  enormities  which  the  human  heart 
is  capable  of  devising ;  and  secondly,  those  which 
exhibit  the  exquisite  tenderness  and  considerate 
care  of  the  God  of  Israel. 

As  to  the  first,  it  is  manifest  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  could  never  enact  laws  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
venting evils  that  have  no  existence.  He  does  not 
construct  a  dam  where  there  is  no  flood  to  be  re- 
sisted :  He  does  not  deal  with  abstract  ideas,  but 
with  positive  realities.  Man  is,  in  very  deed,  cap- 
able of  perpetrating  each  and  every  one  of  the 
shameful  crimes  referred  to  in  this  most  faithful 
section  of  the  book  of  Leviticus.  If  he  were  not, 
why  should  he  be  told  not  to  do  so.  Such  a  code 
would  be  wholly  unsuitable  for  angels,  inasmuch  as 
they  are  incapable  of  committing  the  sins  referred 
to;  but  it  suits  man,  because  he  has  gotten  the 
seeds  of  those  sins  in  his  nature.  This  is  deeply 
humbling.  It  is  a  fresh  declaration  of  the  truth 
that  man  is  a  total  wreck.  From  the  crown  of  his 
head  to  the  sole  of  his  foot,  there  is  not  so  much  as 
a  single  speck  of  moral  soundness,  as  looked  at  in 
the  light  of  the  divine  presence.  The  being  for 
whom  Jehovah  thought  it  needful  to  write  Leviticus 
xviii.-xx.  must  be  a  vile  sinner;  but  that  being  is 
man — the  writer  and  reader  of  these  lines.  How 
plain  it  is,  therefore,  that  "they  that  are  in  the  flesh 
cannot  please  God."  (Rom.  viii.)  Thank  God,  the 
believer  is  "not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the  Spirit."  He 


CHAPTERS    XVIII. -XX.  313 

has  been  taken  completely  out  of  his  old-creation 
standing,  and  introduced  into  the  new  creation,  in 
which  the  moral  evils  aimed  at  in  this  our  section 
can  have  no  existence.  True,  he  has  gotten  the  old 
nature  ;  but  it  is  his  happy  privilege  to  "reckon"  it 
as  n  dead  thing,  and  to  walk  in  the  abiding  power  of 
the  new  creation,  wherein  "all  things  are  of  God." 
This  is  Christian  liberty,  even  liberty  to  walk  up 
and  down  in  that  fair  creation  where  no  trace  of  evil 
can  ever  be  found, — hallowed  liberty  to  walk  in  holi- 
ness and  purity  before  God  and  man, — liberty  to 
tread  those  lofty  walks  of  personal  sanctity  whereon 
the  beams  of  the  divine  countenance  ever  pour 
themselves  in  living  lustre.  Reader,  this  is  Chris- 
tian liberty.  It  is  liberty,  not  to  commit  sin,  but 
to  taste  the  celestial  sweets  of  a  lire  of  true  holiness 
and  moral  elevation.  May  we  prize  more  highly 
than  we  have  ever  done  this  precious  boon  of 
heaven — Christian  liberty. 

And  now,  one  word  as  to  the  second  class  of 
statutes  contained  in  our  section,  namely,  those 
which  so  touchingly  bring  out  divine  tenderness 
and  care.  Take  the  fo flowing :  "And  when  ye  reap 
the  harvest  of  your  land,  thou  shalt  not  wholly  reap 
the  corners  of  thy  field,  neither  shalt  thou  gather 
the  gleanings  of  thy  harvest.  And  thou  shalt  not 
glean  thy  vineyard,  neither  shalt  thou  gather  every 
grape  of  thy  vineyard  ;  thou  shalt  leave  them  for 
the  poor  and  stranger:  I  am  the  Lord  your  God." 
(Chap.  xix.  9,  10.)  This  ordinance  will  meet  ns 
again  in  chapter  xxiii,  but  there  we  shall  see  it  in  its 


314  LEVITICUS. 

dispensations]  bearing.  Here,  we  contemplate  it 
morally,  as  unfolding  the  precious  grace  of  Israel's 
God.  He  would  think  of  "the  poor  and  stranger," 
and  He  would  have  His  people  think  of  them  like- 
wise. When  the  golden  sheaves  were  being  reaped, 
and  the  mellow  clusters  gathered,  "the  poor  and 
stranger"  were  to  be  remembered  by  the  Israel  of 
God,  because  Jehovah  was  the  God  of  Israel.  The 
reaper  and  the  grape-gatherer  were  not  to  be  gov- 
erned by  a  spirit  of  grasping  covetousness,  which 
would  bare  the  corners  of  the  field  and  strip  the 
branches  of  the  vine,  but  rather  by  a  spirit  of  large- 
hearted,  genuine  benevolence,  which  would  leave  a 
sheaf  and  a  cluster  "for  the  poor  and  stranger," 
that  they  too  might  rejoice  in  the  unbounded  good- 
ness of  Him  whose  paths  drop  fatness,  and  on  whose 
open  hand  all  the  sons  of  want  may  confidently  wait. 
The  book  of  Ruth  furnishes  a  fine  example  of  one 
who  fully  acted  out  this  most  benevolent  statute. 
"And  Boaz  said  unto  her,  [Ruth.]  'At  meal-time, 
come  thou  hither,  and  eat  of  the  bread,  and  dip 
thy  morsel  in  the  vinegar.'  And  she  sat  beside  the 
reapers:  and  he  reached  her* parched  corn,  and  she 
did  eat,  and  was  sufficed,  and  left.  And  when  she 
was  risen  up  to  glean,  Boaz  commanded  his  )'oung 
men,  saying,  'Let  her  glean  even  among  the  sheaves, 
and  reproach  her  not ;  and  let  fall  also  some  of  the 
handfuls  of  purpose  for  her,  and  leave  them,  that 
she  may  glean  them,  and  rebuke  her  not.'"  (Ruth 
ii.  14-16.)  Most  touching  and  beautiful  grace  ! 
Truly,  it  is  good  for  our  poor  selfish  hearts  to  be 


CHAPTERS    XVI1I.-XX.  315 

brought  in  contact  with  such  principles  and  such 
practices.  Nothing  can  surpass  the  exquisite  re- 
finement of  the  words,  "let  fall  also  some  of  the 
handfuls  of  purpose  for  her."  It  was  evidently  the 
desire  of  this  noble  Israelite  that  "the  stranger" 
might  have  abundance,  and  have  it,  too,  rather  as 
the  fruit  of  her  own  gleaning  than  of  his  benevo- 
lence. This  was  the  very  essence  of  refinement.  It 
was  putting  her  in  immediate  connection  with,  and 
dependence  upon,  the  God  of  Israel,  who  had  fully 
recognized  and  provided  for  "the  gleaner."  Boaz 
was  merely  acting  out  that  gracious  ordinance  of 
which  Ruth  was  reaping  the  benefit.  The  same 
grace  that  had  given  him  the  field  gave  her  the 
gleanings.  They  were  both  debtors  to  grace.  She 
was  the  happy  recipient  of  Jehovah's  goodness  :  he 
was  the  honored  exponent  of  Jehovah's  most  gra- 
cious institution.  All  was  in  most  lovely  moral 
order.  The  creature  was  blessed  and  God  was 
glorified.  Who  would  not  own  that  it  is  good  for 
us  to  be  allowed  to  breathe  such  an  atmosphere  ? 

Let  us  now  turn  to  another  statute  of  our  section. 
"Thou  shalt  not  defraud  thy  neighbor,  neither  rob 
him  :  the  wages  of  him  that  is  hired  shall  not  abide 
with  thee  all  night  until  the  morning."  (Chap.  xix. 
13.)  What  tender  care  is  here!  The  High  and 
Might  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity  can  take  knowl- 
edge of  the  thoughts  and  feelings  that  spring  up  in 
the  heart  of  a  poor  laborer.  He  knows  and  takes 
into  account  the  expectations  of  such  an  one  in 
reference  to  the  fruit  of  his  .day's  toil.  The  wages 


316  LEVITICUS. 

will  naturally  be  looked  for.  The  laborer's  heart 
counts  upon  them :  the  family  meal  depends  upon 
them.  Oh!  let  them  not  be  held  back:  send  not 
the  laborer  home  with  a  heavy  heart,  to  make  the 
heart  of  his  wife  and  family  heavy  likewise.  By  all 
means,  give  him  that  for  which  he  has  wrought,  to 
which  he  has  a  right,  and  on  which  his  heart  is  set. 
He  is  a  husband,  he  is  a  father,  and  he  has  borne 
the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day  that  his  wife  and 
children  may  not  go  hungry  to  bed.  Disappoint 
him  not:  give  him  his  due.  Thus  does  our  God 
take  notice  of  the  very  throbbings  of  the  laborer's 
heart,  and  make  provision  for  his  rising  expecta- 
tions. Precious  grace  !  Most  tender,  thoughtful, 
touching,  condescending  love  !  The  bare  contem- 
plation of  such  statutes  is  sufficient  to  throw  one 
into  a  flood  of  tenderness.  Could  any  one  read 
such  passages  and  not  be  melted  ?  Could  any  one 
read  them  and  thoughtlessly  dismiss  a  poor  laborer, 
not  knowing  whether  he  and  his  family  .have  where- 
withal to  meet  the  cravings  of  hunger  ? 

Nothing  can  be  more  painful  to  a  tender  heart 
than  the  lack  of  kindly  consideration  for  the  poor 
so  often  manifested  by  the  rich.  These  latter  can 
sit  down  to  their  sumptuous  repast  after  dismissing 
from  their  door  some  poor  industrious  creature  who 
had  come  seeking  the  just  reward  of  his  honest  labor. 
They  think  not  of  the  aching  heart  with  which  that 
man  returns  to  his  famity,  to  tell  them  of  the  dis- 
appointment to  himself  and  to  them.  Oh,  it  is  ter- 
rible !  It  is  most  offensive  to  God  and  to  all  who 


CHAPTERS    XVIII. -XX.  317 

have  drunk,  in  any  measure,  into  His  grace.  If  we 
would  know  what  God  thinks  of  such  acting,  we 
have  only  to  hearken  to  the  following  accents  of 
holy  indignation:  "Behold,  the  hire  of  the  laborers 
who  have  reaped  down  your  fields,  which  is  of  you 
kept  back  by  fraud,  crieth ;  and  the  cries  of  them 
that  have  reaped  have  entered  into  the  ears  of  the 
Lord  of  Sabaoth."  (James  v.  4.)  "The  Lord  of 
Sabaoth"  hears  the  cry  of  the  aggrieved  and  dis- 
appointed laborer.  His  tender  love  tells  itself  forth 
in  the  institutions  of  His  moral  government ;  and 
even  though  the  heart  should  not  be  melted  by  the 
grace  of  those  institutions,  the  conduct  should,  at 
least,  be  governed  by  the  righteousness  thereof.  God 
will  not  suffer  the  claims  of  the  poor  to  be  heart- 
lessly tossed  aside  by  those  who  are  so  hardened  by 
the  influence  of  wealth  as  to  be  insensible  to  the 
appeals  of  tenderness,  and  who  are  so  far  removed 
beyond  the  region  of  personal  need  as  to  be  inca- 
pable of  feeling  for  those  whose  lot  it  is  to  spend 
their  days  amid  exhausting  toil  or  pinching  poverty. 
The  poor  are  the  special  objects  of  God's  care. 
Again  and  again  He  makes  provision  for  them  in 
the  statutes  of  His  moral  administration  ;  and  it  is 
particularly  declared  of  Him  who  shall  ere  long 
assume,  in  manifested  glory,  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment, that  "He  shall  deliver  the  needy  when  he 
crieth ;  the  poor  also,  and  him  that  hath  no  helper. 
He  shall  spare  the  poor  and  need}7,  and  shall  save 
the  souls  of  the  needy.  He  shall  redeem  their 
souls  from  deceit  and  violence ;  and  precious  shall 


318  LETITICUS. 

their  blood  be  in  His  sight."  (Ps.  Ixxii.  12-14.) 
May  we  profit  by  the  review  of  those  precious  and 
deeply  practical  truths.  May  our  hearts  be  affected, 
and  our  conduct  influenced  by  them.  We  live  in 
a  heartless  world  ;  and  these  is  a  vast  amount  of  self- 
ishness in  our  own  hearts.  We  are  not  sufficiently 
affected  by  the  thought  of  the  need  of  others.  We 
are  apt  to  forget  the  poor  in  the  midst  of  our  abund- 
ance. We  often  forget  that  the  very  persons  whose 
labor  ministers  to  our  personal  comfort  are  living, 
it  may  be,  in  the  deepest  poverty.  Let  us  think  of 
these  things.  Let  us  beware  of  "grinding  the  faces 
of  the  poor."  If  the  Jews  of  old  were  taught,  by 
the  statutes  and  ordinances  of  the  Mosaic  economy, 
to  entertain  kindly  feelings  toward  the  poor,  and  to 
deal  tenderly  and  graciously  with  the  sons  of  toil, 
how  much  more  ought  the  higher  and  more  spiritual 
ethics  of  the  gospel  dispensation  produce  in  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  Christians  a  large-hearted  benev- 
olence toward  every  form  of  human  need. 

True,  there  is  urgent  need  of  prudence  and  cau- 
tion, lest  we  take  a  man  out  of  the  honorable  posi- 
tion in  which  he  was  designed  and  fitted  to  move, 
namely,  a  position  of  dependence  upon  the  fruits — 
the  precious  and  fragrant  fruits — of  honest  industry. 
This  would  be  a  grievous  injury  instead  of  a  benefit. 
The  example  of  Boaz  should  instruct  in  this  matter. 
He  allowed  Ruth  to  glean  ;  but  he  took  care  to  make 
her  gleaning  profitable.  This  is  a  very  safe  and  a 
very  simple  principle.  God  intends  that  man  should 
work  at  something  or  another,  and  we  run  counter 


CHAPTERS    XVIII.-XX.  319 

to  Him  when  we  draw  our  fellow  out  of  the  place  of 
dependence  upon  the  results  of  patient  industry, 
into  that  of  dependence  upon  the  results  of  false 
benevolence.  The  former  is  as  honorable  and  elevat- 
ing as  the  latter  is  contemptible  and  demoralizing. 
There  is  no  bread  so  sweet  to  the  taste  as  that  which 
in  nobly  earned  ;  but  then  those  who  earn  their  bread 
should  get  enough.  A  man  will  feed  and  care  for 
his  horses ;  how  much  more  his  fellow,  who  yields 
him  the  labor  of  his  hands  from  Monday  morning 
till  Saturday  night. 

But  some  will  say,  There  are  two  sides  to  this 
question.  Unquestionably  there  are  ;  and  no  doubt 
one  meets  with  a  great  deal  amongst  the  poor  which 
is  calculated  to  dry  up  the  springs  of  benevolence 
and  genuine  sympathy.  There  is  much  which  tends 
to  steel  the  heart  and  close  the  hand  ;  but  one  thing 
is  certain,  it  is  better  to  be  deceived  in  ninety-nine 
cases  out  of  a  hundred  than  to  shut  up  the  bowels 
of  compassion  against  a  single  worthy  object.  Our 
heavenly  Father  causes  His  sun  to  shine  upon  the 
evil  and  on  the  good  ;  and  sendeth  rain  upon  the  just 
and  upon  the  unjust.  The  same  sunbeams  that  glad- 
den the  heart  of  some  devoted  servant  of  Christ  are 
poured  upon  the  path  of  some  ungodly  sinner ;  and 
the  self-same  shower  that  falls  upon  the  tillage  of  a 
true  believer,  enriches  also  the  furrows  of  some 
blaspheming  infidel.  This  is  to  be  our  model.  "Be 
ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is 
in  heaven  is  perfect."  (Matt.  v.  48.)  It  is  only  as 
we  set  the  Lord  before  us,  and  walk  in  the  power  of 


320  LEVITICUS. 

His  grace,  that  we  shall  be  able  to  go  on  from  day 
to  clay,  meeting,  with  a  tender  heart  and  an  open 
hand,  every  possible  form  of  human  misery.  It  is 
only  as  we  ourselves  are  drinking  at  the  exhaustless 
fountain  of  divine  love  and  tenderness,  that  we  shall 
be  able  to  go  on  ministering  to  human  need  un- 
checked by  the  oft-repeated  manifestation  of  human 
depravity.  Our  tiny  springs  would  soon  be  dried  up 
were  they  not  maintained  in  unbroken  connection 
with  that  ever-gushing  source. 

The  statute  which  next  presents  itself  for  our  con- 
sideration, exemplifies  most  touchingly  the  tender 
care  of  the  God  of  Israel.  "Thou  shalt  not  curse 
the  deaf,  nor  put  a.  stumbling-block  before  the  blind, 
but  shalt  fear  thy  God:  I  am  the  Lord/'  (Ver.  14.) 
Here  a  barrier  is  erected  to  stem -the  rising  tide  of 
irritability  with  which  uncontrolled  nature  would  be 
almost  sure  to  meet  the  personal  infirmity  of  deaf- 
ness. How  well  we  can  understand  this !  Nature 
does  not  like  to  be  called  upon  to  repeat  its  words 
again  and  again,  in  order  to  meet  the  deaf  man's 
infirmity.  Jehovah  thought  of  this,  and  provided 
for  it.  And  what  is  the  provision?  "Thou  shalt 
fear  thy  God."  When  tried  by  a. deaf  person,  re- 
member the  Lord,  and  look  to  Him  for.  grace  to 
enable  you  to  govern  your  temper. 

The  second  part  of  this  statute  reveals  a  most 
humiliating  amount  of  wickedness  in  human  nature. 
The  idea  of  laying  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of 
the  blind  is  about  the  most  wanton  cruelty  imagin- 
able ;  and  yet  man  is  capable  of  it,  else  he  would 


CHAPTERS    XXI.   &  XXII.  321 

not  be  warned  against  it.  No  doubt  this,  as  well  as 
many  other  statutes,  admits  of  a  spiritual  applica- 
tion ;  but  that  in  no  wise  interferes  with  the  plain 
literal  principle  set  forth  in  it.  Man  is  capable  of 
placing  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  a  feliow- 
creature  afflicted  with  blindness.  Such  is  man  ! 
Truly,  the  Lord  knew  what  was  in  man  when  He 
wrote  the  statutes  and  judgments  of  the  book  of 
Leviticus. 

I  shall  leave  my  reader  to  meditate  alone  upon  the 
remainder  of  our  section.  He- will  find  that  each 
statute  teaches  a  double  lesson,  namety,  a  lesson 
with  respect  to  nature's  evil  tendencies,  and  also  a 
lesson  as  to  Jehovah's  tender  care.* 


CHAPTERS   XXI.   &  XXII. 

THESE  chapters  unfold,  with  great  minuteness  of 
detail,  the  divine  requirements  in  reference  to 
those  who  were  privileged  to  draw  near  as  priests  to 
"offer  the  bread  of  their  God."  In  this,  as  in  the 
preceding  section,  we  have  conduct  as  the  result, 
not  the  procuring  cause  of  the  relationship.  This 
should  be  carefully  borne 'in  mind.  The  sons  of 

*  Verses  16  and  17  demand  special  attention.  "Thou  shalt  not  go 
up  and  down  as  a  talebearer  among  thy  people."  This  is  a  most 
seasonable  admonition  for  the  people  of  God  in  every  age.  A 
talebearer  is  sure  to  do  incalculable  mischief.  It  has  been  well 
remarked  that  a  talebearer  injures  three  persons— he  injures  him- 
self, he  injures  his  hearer,  and  he  injures  the  subject  of  his  tale. 
All  this  he  does  directly ;  and  as  to  the  indirect  consequences,  who 
can  recount  them  ?  Let  us  carefully  guard  against  this  horrible 


322  LEVITICUS. 

Aaron  were,  in  virtue  of  their  birth,  priests  unto 
God.  They  all  stood  in  this  relationship,  one  as 
well  as  another.  It  was  not  a  matter  of  attainment, 
a  question  of  progress,  something  which  one  had 
and  another  had  not.  All  the  sons  of  Aaron  were 
priests  ;  they  were  born  into  a  priestly  place.  Their 
capacity  to  understand  and  enjoy  their  position  and 
its  attendant  privileges  was  obviously  a  different 
thing  altogether.  One  might  be  a  babe,  and  an- 
other might  have  reached  the  point  of  mature  and 
vigorous  manhood.-  The  former  would,  of  necessity, 
be  unable  to  eat  of  the  priestly  food,  being  a  babe, 
for  whom  "milk,"  and  not  "strong  meat,"  was 
adapted;  but  he  was  as  truly  a  member  of  the 
priestly  house  as  the  man  who  could  tread,  with 
firm  step,  the  courts  of  the  Lord's  house,  and  feed 
upon  "the  wave  breast"  and  "heave  shoulder"  of 
the  sacrifice. 

This  distinction  is  easily  understood  in  the  case 
of  the  sons  of  Aaron,  and  hence  it  will  serve  to 
illustrate,  in  a  very  simple  manner,  the  truth  as  to 
the  members  of  the  true  priestly  house,  over  which 
our  great  High-Priest  presides,  and  to  which  all  true 

evil.  May  we  never  suffer  a  tafe  to  pass  our  lips ;  and  let  us  never 
stand  to  hearken  to  a  talebearer.  May  we  always  know  how  to 
drive  away  a  backbiting  tongue  with  an  angry  countenance,  as  the 
north  wind  driveth  away  rain. 

In  verse  17,  we  learn  what  ought  to  take  thej>lace  of  talebearing. 
"Thou  shall  in  any  wise  rebuke  thy  neighbor,  and  not  suffer  sin 
upon  him."  In  place  of  carrying  to  another  a  tale  about  my  neigh- 
bor, I  am  called  upon  to  go  directly  to  himself  and  rebuke  him,  if 
there  is  any  thing  wrong.  This  is  the  divine  method.  Satan's 
method  is  to  act  the  talebearer. 


CHAPTERS    XXI.    &  XXII.  323 

believers  belong.  (Heb.  iii.  6.)  Every  child  of  God 
is  a  priest.  He  is  enrolled  as  a  member  of  Christ's 
priestly  house.  He  may  be  very  ignorant,  but  his 
position  as  a  priest  is  not  founded  upon  knowledge, 
but  upon  life  ;  his  experience  may  be  very  shallow, 
but  his  place  as  a  priest  does  not  depend  upon  ex- 
perience, but  upon  life ;  his  capacity  may  be  very 
limited,  but  his  relationship  as  a  priest  does  not 
rest  upon  an  enlarged  capacity,  but  upon  life.  He 
-was  born  into  the  position  and  relationship  of  a 
priest:  he  did  network  himself  thereinto.  It  was 
not  by  any  efforts  of  his  own  that  he  became  a  priest : 
he  became  a  priest  by  birth.  The  spiritual  priest- 
hood, together  with  all  the  spiritual  functions  attach- 
ing thereunto,  is  the  necessary  appendage  to  spir- 
itual birth.  The  capacity  to  enjoy  the  privileges 
and  to  discharge  the  functions  of  a  position  must 
not  be  confounded  with  the  position  itself:  they 
must  ever  be  kept  distinct.  Relationship  is  one 
thing ;  capacity  is  quite  another. 

Furthermore,  in  looking  at  the  family  of  Aaron, 
we  see  that  nothing  could  break  the  relationship  be- 
tween him  and  his  sons.  There  tvere  many  things 
which  would  interfere  with  the  full  enjoyment  of  the 
privileges  attaching  to  the  relationship.  A  son  of 
Aaron  might  "defile  himself  by  the  dead;"  he 
might  defile  himself  by  forming  an  unholy  alliance ; 
he  might  have  some  bodily  "blemish ;"  he  might  be 
"blind  or  lame  ;"  he  might  be  "a  dwarf."  Any  of 
these  things  would  have  interfered  very  materially 
with  his  enjoyment  of  the  privileges  and  his  dis- 


324  LEVITICUS. 

charge  of  the  functions  pertaining  to  his  relation- 
ship, as  we  read,  "No  man  that  hath  a  blemish  of 
the  seed  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  come  nigh  to  offer 
Ihe  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire :  he  hath  a 
blemish :  he  shall  not  come  nigh  to  offer  the  bread 
of  his  God.  He  shall  eat  the  bread  of  his  God, 
both  of  the  most  holy  and  the  holy ;  only  he  shall 
not  go  in  unto  the  vail,  nor  come  nigh  unto  the 
altar,  because  he  hath  a  blemish ;  that  he  profane 
not  my  sanctuaries ;  for  I  the  Lord  do  sanctify 
them."  (Chap.  xxi.  21-23.)  But  none  of  these 
things  could  possibly  touch  the  fact  of  a  relationship 
founded  upon  the  established  principles  of  human 
nature.  Though  a  son  of  Aaron  were  a  dwarf,  that 
dwarf  was  a  son  of  Aaron.  True,  he  was,  as  a 
dwarf,  shorn  of  many  precious  privileges  and  lofty 
dignities  pertaining  to  the  priesthood,  but  he  was  a 
son  of  Aaron  all  the  while.  He  could  neither  enjoy 
the  same  measure  or  character  of  communion,  nor 
yet  discharge  the  same  elevated  functions  of  priestly 
sendee,  as  one  who  had  reached  to  manhood's  ap- 
pointed stature  ;  but  he  was  a  member  of  the  priestly 
house,  and  as  such,  permitted  to  "eat  the  bread  of 
his  God."  The  relationship  was  genuine,  though 
the  development  was  so  defective. 

The  spiritual  application  of  all  this  is  as  simple  as 
it  is  practical.  To  be  a  child  of  God  is  one  thing ; 
to  be  in  the  enjoyment  of  priestly  communion  and 
priestly  worship  is  quite  another.  The  latter  is, 
alas !  interfered  with  by  many  things.  Circum- 
stances and  associations  are  allowed  to  act  upon  us 


CHAPTERS    XXI.   &  XXII.  325 

by  their  defiling  influence.  We  are  not  to  suppose 
that  all  Christians  enjoy  the  same  elevation  of  walk, 
the  same  intimacy  of  fellowship,  the  same  felt  near- 
ness to  Christ.  Alas!  alas!  they  do  not.  Many 
of  us  have  to  mourn  over  our  spiritual  defects. 
There  is  lameness  of  walk,  defective  vision,  stunted 
growth;  or  we  allow  ourselves  to  be  defiled  by 
contact  with  evil,  and  to  be  weakened  and  hindered 
by  unhallowed  associations.  In  a  word,  as  the  sons 
of  Aaron,  though  being  priests  by  birth,  were  never- 
theless deprived  of  many  privileges  through  cere- 
monial defilement  and  physical  defects ;  so  we, 
though  being  priests  unto  God  by  spiritual  birth, 
are  deprived  of  many  of  the  high  and  holy  privileges 
of  our  position  by  moral  defilement  and  spiritual 
defects.  We  are  shorn  of  many  of  our  dignities 
through  defective  spiritual  development.  We  lack 
singleness  of  eye,  spiritual  vigor,  whole-hearted  de- 
votedness.  Saved  we  are,  through  the  free  grace 
of  God,  on  the  ground  of  Christ's  perfect  sacrifice. 
"We  are  all  the  children  of  God,  by  faith  in  Christ 
Jesus  ;  "  but  then,  salvation  is  one  thing ;  commun- 
ion is  quite  another :  sonship  is  one  thing ;  obedi- 
ence is  quite  another. 

These  things  should  be  carefully  distinguished. 
The  section  before  us  illustrates  the  distinction  with 
great  force  and  clearness.  If  one  of  the  sons  of 
Aaron  happened  to  be  "broken-footed  or  broken- 
handed,"  was  he  deprived  of  his  sonship  ?  Assur- 
edly not.  Was  he  deprived  of  his  priestly  position  ? 
By  no  means.  It  was  distinctly  declared,  "He  shall 


326  LEVITICUS. 

eat  the  bread  of  his  God,  both  of  the  most  holy  and 
of  the  holy. ' '  What,  then,  did  he  lose  by  his  physical 
blemish  ?  He  was  forbidden  to  tread  some  of  the 
higher  walks  of  priestly  service  and  worship. — "Only 
he  shall  not  go  in  unto  the  vail,  nor  come  nigh  unto 
the  altar."  These  were  very  serious  privations; 
and  though  it  may  be  objected  that  a  man  could 
not  help  many  of  these  physical  defects,  that  did 
not  alter  the  matter.  Jehovah  could  not  have  a 
blemished  priest  at  His  altar,  or  a  blemished  sacri- 
fice thereon.  Both  the  priest  and  the  sacrifice  should 
be  perfect.  "No  man  that  hath  a  blemish  of  the 
seed  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  come  nigh  to  offer  the 
offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire."  (Chap.  xxi.  22. ) 
"But  whatsoever  hath  a  blemish,  that  shall  ye  not 
offer  ;  for  it  shall  not  be  acceptable  for  you."  (Chap, 
xxii.  20.) 

Now,  wre  have  both  the  perfect  priest  and  the 
perfect  sacrifice  in  the  Person  of  our  blessed  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  He  having  "offered  Himself  without 
spot  to  God,"  passed  into  the  heavens  as  our  great 
High-Priest,  where  He  ever  liveth  to  make  interces- 
sion for  us.  The  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  dwells 
elaborately  upon  these  two  points.  It  throws  into 
vivid  contrast  the  sacrifice  and  priesthood  of  the 
Mosaic  system  and  the  Sacrifice  and  Priesthood  of 
Christ.  In  Him  we  have  divine  perfectness,  whether 
as  the  Victim  or  as  the  Priest.  We  have  all  that 
God  could  require,  and  all  that  "man  could  need. 
His  precious  blood  has  put  away  all  our  sins,  and 
His  all-prevailing  intercession  ever  maintains  us  in 


CHAPTERS    XXI.   &  XXII.  327 

all  the  perfectness  of  the  place  into  which  His  blood 
has  introduced  us.  "We  are  complete  in  Him" 
(Col.  ii.);  and  yet,  so  feeble  and  so  faltering  are 
we  in  ourselves  ;  so  full  of  failure  and  infirmity  ;  so 
prone  to  err  and  stumble  in  our  onward  way,  that 
we  could  not  stand  for  a  moment  were  it  not  that 
4 '  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us. ' '  These 
things  have  been  dwelt  upon  in  the  earlier  chapters 
of  this  volume,  and  it  is  therefore  needless  to  enter 
further  upon  them  here.  Those  who  have  any  thing 
like  correct  apprehensions  of  the  grand  foundation- 
truths  of  Christianity,  and  any  measure  of  experi- 
ence in  the  Christian  life,  will  be  able  to  understand 
how  it  is  that  though  "complete  in  Him  who  is  the 
head  of  all  principality  and  power,"  they  neverthe- 
less need,  while  down  here  amid  the  infirmities, 
conflicts,  and  buffetings  of  earth,  the  powerful  ad- 
vocacy of  their  adorable  and  divine  High-Priest. 
The  believer  is  "washed,  sanctified,  and  justified" 
( 1  Cor.  vi. )  ;  he  is  "accepted  in  the  Beloved "(Eph. 
i.  G.)  ;  he  can  never  come  into  judgment,  as  regards 
his  person  (See  John  v.  24,  where  the  word  is  Kpi6iv 
and  not  xaraxpitiir.)  ;  death  and  judgment  are  be- 
hind him,  because  he  is  united  to  Christ,  who  has 
passed  through  them  both  on  his  behalf  and  in  his 
stead.  All  these  things  are  divinely  true  of  the  very 
weakest,  most  unlettered,  and  inexperienced  mem- 
ber of  the  family  of  God ;  but  }-et,  inasmuch  as  lie 
carries  about  with  him  a  nature  so  incorrigibly  bad 
and  so  irremediably  ruined  that  no  discipline  can 
correct  it  and  no  medicine  cure  it,  inasmuch  as  he 


328  LEVITICUS. 

is  the  tenant  of  a,  body  of  sin  and  death — as  he  is 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  hostile  influences — as  he 
is  called  to  cope  perpetually  with  the  combined 
forces  of  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  he  could 
never  keep  his  ground,  much  less  make  progress, 
were  he  not  upheld  by  the  all-prevailing  intercession 
of  his  great  High-Priest,  who  bears  the  names  of 
His  people  upon  His  breast  and  upon  His  shoulder. 
Some,  I  am  aware,  have  found  great  difficulty  in 
reconciling  the  idea  of  the  believer's  perfect  stand- 
ing in  Christ  with  the  need  of  priesthood.  "If,"  it 
is  argued,  "he  is  perfect,  what  need  has  he  of  a 
priest  ?"  The  two  things  are  as  distinctly  taught  in 
the  Word  as  they  are  compatible  one  with  another, 
and  understood  in  the  experience  of  every  rightly 
instructed  Christian.  It  is  of  the  very  last  import- 
ance to  apprehend,  with  clearness  and  accuracy,  the 
perfect  harmony  between  these  two  points.  The 
believer  is  perfect  in  Christ;  but  in  himself,  he  is  a 
poor  feeble  creature,  ever  liable  to  fall.  Hence  the 
unspeakable  blessedness  of  having  One  who  can 
manage  all  his  affairs  for  him,  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  Majesty  in  the  heavens — One  who  upholds  him 
continually  by  the  right  hand  of  His  righteousness — 
One  who  will  never  let  him  go — One  who  is  able  to 
save  to  the  uttermost — One  who  is  "the  same  yes- 
terday, to-day,  and  forever" — One  who  will  bear 
him  triumphantly  through  all  the  difficulties  and 
dangers  which  surround  him,  and  finally  "present 
him  faultless  before  the  presence  of  His  glory  with 
exceeding  joy."  Blessed  forever  be  the  grace  that 


xxi.  &  xxii.  329 


has  made  such  ample  provision  for  all  our  need  in 
the  blood  of  a  Spotless  -Victim  and  the  intercession 
of  a  divine  High-Priest  ! 

Dear  Christian  reader,  let  it  be  our  care  so  to 
walk,  so  to  "keep  ourselves  unspotted  from  the 
world,  so  to  stand  apart  from  all  unhallowed  asso- 
ciations, that  we  may  enjoy  the  highest  privileges 
and  discharge  the  most  elevated  functions  of  our 
position  as  members  of  the  priestly  house  of  which 
Christ  is  the  Head.  We  have  "boldness  to  enter 
into  the  holiest  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  :  "  "we 
have  a  great  High-Priest  over  the  house  of  God." 
(Heb.  x.)  Nothing  can  ever  rob  us  of  these  privi- 
leges. But  then  our  communion  may  be  marred, 
our  worship  may  be  hindered,  our  holy  functions 
may  remain  undischarged.  Those  ceremonial  mat- 
ters against  which  the  sons  of  Aaron  were  warned 
in  the  section  before  us,  have  their  antitypes  in 
the  Christian  economy.  Had  they  to  be  warned 
against  unholy  contact  ?  So  have  we.  Had  they 
to  be  warned  against  unholy  alliance  ?  So  have  we. 
Had  they  to  be  warned  against  all  manner  of  cere- 
monial uncleanness  ?  So  have  we  to  be  warned 
against  "all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit." 
(1  Cor.  vii.)  Were  they  shorn  of  many  of  their 
loftiest  priestly  privileges  by  bodily  blemish  and 
imperfect  natural  growth  ?  So  are  we  by  moral 
blemish  and  imperfect  spiritual  growth. 

Will  any  one  venture  to  call  in  question  the  prac- 
tical importance  of  such  principles  as  these  ?  Is  it 
not  obvious  that  the  more  highly  we  estimate  the 


330  LEVITICUS. 

blessings  which  attach  to  that  priestly  house  of 
which  we  have  been  constituted  members,  in  virtue 
of  our  spiritual  birth,  the  more  carefully  shall  we 
guard  against  every  thing  which  might  tend  in  any 
'wise  to  rob  us  of  their  enjoyment?  Undoubtedly, 
And  this  it  is  which  renders  the  close  study  of  our 
section  so  pre-eminently  practical.  May  we  feel  its 
power,  through  the  application  of  God  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Then  shall  we  enjoy  our  priestly  place  ;  then 
shall  we  faithfully  discharge  our  priestly  functions. 
We  shall  be  able  "to  present  our  bodies  a  living 
sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable  unto  God"  (Rom. 
xii.  1);  we  shall  be  able  to  "offer  the  sacrifice  of 
praise  to  God  continually,  that  is,  the  fruit  of  our 
lips,  giving  thanks  to  His  name"  (Heb.'xiii.  15. )  ;  we 
shall  be  able,  as  members  of  the  "spiritual  house" 
and  the  "holy  priesthood,"  to  "offer  up  spiritual 
sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ" 
(1  Pet.  ii..  5.);  we  shall  be  able,  in  some  small 
degree,  to  anticipate  that  blissful  time  when,  from 
a  redeemed  creation,  the  halleluiahs  of  intelligent _ 
and  fervent  praise  shall  ascend  to  the  throne  of  God 
and  the  Lamb  throughout  the  everlasting  ages. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ONE  of  the  most  profound   and   comprehensive 
chapters  in  the  inspired  volume  now  lies  be- 
fore us,  and  claims  our  pra3*erful  stud}'.    It  contains 
the  record  of  the  seven  great  feasts  or  periodical 


CHAPTER   XXIII.  331 

solemnities  into  which  Israel's  year  was  divided. 
In  other  words,  it  furnishes  us  with  a  perfect  view 
of  God's  dealings  with  Israel  during  the  entire  period 
of  their  most  eventful  histoiy. 

Looking  at  the  feasts  separate!}*,  we  have  the  Sab- 
bath, the  Passover,  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  • 
the  first-fruits,  Pentecost,  the  feast  of  trumpets,  the 
day  of  atonement,  and  the  feast  of  tabernacles. 
This  would  make  eight,  altogether ;  but  it  is  very 
obvious  that  the  Sabbath  occupies  quite  a  unique 
and  independent  place.  It  is  first  presented,  and 
its  proper  characteristics  and  attendant  circum- 
stances fully  set  forth;  and  then  we  read,  "These 
are  the  feasts  of  the  Lord,  even  holy  convocations, 
which  ye  shall  proclaim  in  their  seasons."  (Ver.  4.) 

So  that,  strictly  speaking,  as  the  attentive  reader 
will  observe,  Israel's  first  great  feast  was  the  Pass- 
over, and  their  seventh  was  the  feast  of  tabernacles. 
That  is  to  say,  divesting  them  of  their  typical  dress, 
we  have,  first,  redemption  ;  and  last  of  all,  we  have 
the  millennial  gloiy.  The  paschal  lamb  tj-pified  the 
death  of  Christ  ( 1  Cor.  v.  7. )  ;  and  the  feast  of 
tabernacles  typified  "the  times  of  the  restitution  of 
all  things,  of  which  God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth 
of  all  His  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began." 
(Acts  iii.  21.) 

Such  was  the  opening  and  such  the  closing  feast 
of  the  Jewish  year.  Atonement  is  the  foundation, 
glory  the  top-stone  ;  while  between  these  two  points 
we  have  the  resurrection  of  Christ  (ver.  10-14.), 
the  gathering  of  the  Church  (ver.  15-21.),  the  wak- 


332  LEVITICUS. 

ing  up  of  Israel  to  a  sense  of  their  long-lost  glory 
(ver.  24-25.),  their  repentance  and  hearty  reception 
of  their  Messiah  (ver.  27-32.),  and,  that  not  one 
feature  might  be  lacking  in  this  grand  typical  repre- 
sentation, we  have  provision  made  for  the  Gentiles 
to  come  in  at  the  close  of  the  harvest  and  glean  in 
Israel's  fields  (ver.  22.).  All  this  renders  the  pic- 
ture divinely  perfect,  and  evokes  from  the  heart  of 
every  lover  of  Scripture  the  most  intense  admiration. 
What  could  be  more  complete  ?  The  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  and  practical  holiness  founded  thereon ;  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  from  the  dead,  and  His  as- 
cension into  heaven  ;  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,. 
in  pentecostal  power,  to  form  the  Church  ;  the  awak- 
ening of  the  remnant ;  their  repentance  and  restor- 
ation ;  the  blessing  of  "the  poor  and  the  stranger  ;" 
the  manifestation  of  the  glory  ;  the  rest  and  blessed- 
ness of  the  kingdom, — such  are  the  contents  of  this 
truly  marvelous  chapter,  which  we  shall  now  proceed 
to  examine  in  detail.  May  God  the  Holy  Ghost  be 
our  Teacher. 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  Con- 
cerning the  feasts  of  the  Lord,  which  }'e  shall  pro- 
claim to  be  holy  convocations,  even  these  are  My 
feasts.  Six  da}~s  shall  work  be  done  ;  but  the  sev- 
enth day  is  the  Sabbath  of  rest,  a  holy  convocation  ; 
ye  shall  do  no  work  therein  :  it  is  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Lord  in  all  your  dwellings.'"  The  place  which  the 
Sabbath  here  gets  is  full  of  interest.  The  Lord  is 
about  to  furnish  a  type  of  all  His  dealings  in  grace 


CHAPTER   XXIII.  333 

with  His  people ;  and  ere  He  does  so,  He  sets  forth 
the  Sabbath  as  the  significant  expression  of  that  rest 
which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God.  It  was  an 
actual  solemnity  to  be  observed  by  Israel,  but  it 
was  also  a  type  of  what  is  yet  to  be  when  all  that 
great  and  glorious  work  which  this  chapter  fore- 
shadows shall  have  been  accomplished.  It  is  God's 
rest,  into  which  all  who  believe  can  enter  now  in 
spirit ;  but  which,  as  to  its  full  and  actual  accom- 
plishment, 3'et  remains.  (Heb.  iv.)  We  work  now: 
we  shall  rest  by  and  by.  In  one  sense,  the  believer 
enters  into  rest ;  in  another  sense,  he  labors  to  enter 
into  it.  He  has  found  his  rest  in  Christ ;  he  labors 
to  enter  into  his  rest  in  glory.  He  has  found  his 
full  mental  repose  in  what  Christ  has  wrought  for 
him,  and  his  eye  rests  on  that  everlasting  Sabbath 
upon  which  he  shall  enter  when  all  his  desert  toils 
and  conflicts  are  over.  He  cannot  rest  in  the  midst 
of  a  scene  of  sin  and  wretchedness;  "he  rests  in 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  who  took  the  servant's 
form  ;"  and  while  thus  resting,  he  is  called  to  labor 
as  a  worker  together  with  God,  in  the  full  assurance 
that  when  all  his  toil  is  over,  he  shall  enjoy  un- 
broken, eternal  repose  in  those  mansions  of  unfad- 
ing light  and  unalloyed  blessedness  where  labor  and 
sorrow  can  never  enter.  Blessed  prospect!  May 
it  brighten  more  and  more  each  hour  in  the  vision 
of  faith.  May  we  labor  all  the  more  earnestly  and 
faithfully,  as  being  sure  of  this  most  precious  rest 
at  the  end.  True,  there  are  foretastes  of  the  eternal 
Sabbath ;  but  these  foretastes  only  cause  us  to  long 


334  LEVITICUS. 

more  ardently  for  the  blessed  reality — that  Sabbath 
which  shall  never  be  broken — that  "holy  convoca- 
tion" which  shall  never  be  dissolved. 

We  have  already  remarked  that  the  Sabbath  oc- 
cupies quite  a  unique  and  independent  place  in  this 
chapter.  This  is  evident  from  the  wording  of  the 
fourth  verse,  where  the  Lord  seems  to  begin  afresh 
with  the  expression,  "These  are  the  feasts  of  the 
Lord,"  as  if  to  leave  the  Sabbath  quite  distinct  from 
the  seven  feasts  which  follow,  though  it  be,  in  reality, 
the  type  of  that  rest  to  which  those  feasts  so  bless- 
edly introduce  the  soul. 

"These  are  the  feasts  of  the  Lord,  even  holy  con- 
vocations, which  ye  shall  proclaim  in  their  seasons. 
In  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month  at  even  is 
the  Lord's  passover."  (Ver.  4,  5.)  Here,  then,  we 
have  the  first  of  the  seven  periodical  solemnities — 
the  offering  of  that  paschal  lamb  whose  blood  it  was 
that  screened  the  Israel  of  God  from  the  sword  of 
the  destroying  angel  on  that  terrible  night  when 
Egypt's  first-born  were  laid  low.  This  is  the  ac- 
knowledged type  of  the  death  of  Christ,  and  hence 
its  place  in  this  chapter  is  divinely  appropriate.  It 
forms  the  foundation  of  all.  We  can  know  nothing 
of  rest,  nothing  of  holiness,  nothing  of  fellowship, 
save  on  the  ground  of  the  death  of  Christ.  It  is 
peculiarly  striking,  significant,  and  beautiful  to 
observe  that,  directly  God's  rest  is  spoken  of,  the 
next  thing  introduced  is  the  blood  of  the  paschal 
lamb.  As  much  as  to  say,  There  is  the  rest,  but 
here  is  your  title.  No  doubt  labor  will  capacitate 


CHAPTER   XXIII.  335 

us,  but  it  is  the  blood  that  entitles  us,  to  enjoy  the 
rest. 

44  And  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  same  month  is 
the  feast  of  unleavened  bread  unto  the  Lord :  seven 
days  3~e  must  eat  unleavened  bread.  In  the  first 
day  3*6  shall  have  a  holy  convocation  :  ye  shall  do  no 
servile  work  therein.  But  ye  shall  offer  an  offering 
made  by  (ire  unto  the  Lord  seven  days :  in  the  sev- 
enth day  is  a  holy  convocation :  ye  shall  do  no  servjle 
work  therein."  (Ver.  6-8.)  The  people  are  here 
assembled  around  Jehovah  in  that  practical  holiness 
which  is  founded  upon  accomplished  redemption  ; 
and  while  thus  assembled,  the  fragrant  odor  of  the 
sacrifice  ascends  from  the  altar  of  Israel  to  the 
throne  of  Israel's  God.  This  gives  us  a  fine  view 
"of  that  holiness  which  God  looks  for  in  the  life  of 
His  redeemed.  It  is  based  upon  the  sacrifice,  and 
it  ascends  in  immediate  connection  with  the  accept- 
able fragrance  of  the  Person  of  Christ.  "Ye  shall 
do  no  servile  work  therein ;  but  3*6  shall  offer  an 
offering  made  by  fire. ' '  What  a  contrast !  — the  servile 
work  of  man's  hands,  and  the  sweet  savor  of  Christ's 
sacrifice  !  The  practical  holiness  of  God's  people  is 
not  servile  labor ;  it  is  the  living  unfolding  of  Christ 
through  them,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "To 
me  to  live  is  Christ."  This  is  the  true  idea.  Christ 
is  our  life ;  and  every  exhibition  of  that  life  is,  in 
the  divine  judgment,  redolent  with  all  the  fragrance 
of  Christ.  It  ma3>-  be  a  very  trifling  matter  in  man's 
judgment,  but,  in  so  far  as  it  is  the  outflow  of 
Christ  our  life,  it  is  unspeakably  precious  to  God. 
23 


336  LEVITICUS. 

It  ascends  to  Him  and  can  never  be  forgotten. 
"The  fruits  of  righteousness  which  are  by  Jesus 
Christ"  are  produced  in  the  life  of  the  believer,  and 
no  power  of  earth  or  hell  can  prevent  their  fragrance 
ascending  to  the  throne  of  God. 

Ifc  is  needful  to  ponder  deeply  the  contrast  be- 
tween "servile  work"  and  the  outflow  of  the  life  of 
Christ.  The  t}-pe  is  very  vivid.  There  was  a  total 
cessation  of  manual  labor  throughout  the  whole  as- 
sembly ;  but  the  sweet  savor  of  the  burnt-offering 
ascended  to  God.  These  were  to  be  the  two  grand 
characteristics  of  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread. 
Man's  labor  ceased,  and  the  odor  of  the  sacrifice 
ascended ;  and  this  was  the  type  of  a  believer's^  life 
of  practical  holiness.  What  a  triumphant  answer  is 
here  to  the  legalist  on  the  one  side,  and  the  anti- 
nomian  on  the  other !  The  former  is  silenced  by  the 
words,  "no  servile  work;"  and  the  latter  is  con- 
founded by  the  words,  "Ye  shall  offer  an  offering 
made  by  fire."  The  most  elaborate  works  of  man's 
hands  are  "servile ;"  but  the  smallest  cluster  of 
"the  fruits  of  righteousness"  is  to  the  glory  and 
praise  of  God.  Throughout  the  entire  period  of 
the  believer's  life  there  must  be  no  servile  work 
— nothing  of  the  hateful  and  degrading  element 
of  legality.  There  should  be  only  the  continual 
presentation  of  the  life  of  Christ,  wrought  out 
and  exhibited  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Throughout  the  "seven  days"  of  Israel's  second 
great  periodical  solemnity  there  was  to  be  "no 
leaven;"  but  instead  thereof,  the  sweet  savor  of 


CHAPTER    XXIII.  337 

uan  offering  made  by  fire"  was  to  be  presented  to 
the  Lord.  May  we  fully  enter  into  the  practical 
teaching  of  this  most  striking  and  instructive  tj-pe. 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  When 
3'e  be  come  into  the  land  which  I  give  unto  you,  and 
shall  reap  the  harvest  thereof,  then  ye  shall  bring 
a  sheaf  of  the  first-fruits  of  your  harvest  unto  tlie 
priest ;  and  ye  shall  wave  the  sheaf  before  the  Lord, 
to  be  accepted  for  you :  on  the  morrow  after  the 
Sabbath  tjie  priest  shall  wave  it.  And  ye  shall  offer 
that  day  when  ye  wave- the  sheaf,  a  he  lamb  without 
blemish  of  the  first  }"ear,  for  a  burnt-offering  unto 
the  Lord.  And  the  meat-offering  thereof  shall  be 
two  tenth  deals  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  an 
offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  for  a  sweet 
savor:  and  the  drink-offering  thereof  shall  be  of 
wine,  the  fourth  part  of  a  hin.  And  ye  shall  eat 
neither  bread,  nor  parched  corn,  nor  green  ears, 
until  the  self-same  day  that  ye  have  brought  an 
offering  unto  \OUY  God  :  it  shall  be  a  statute  forever 
throughout  your  generations,  in  all  your  dwellings." 
(Ver.  9-14.) 

"But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and  be- 
come tlie  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept."  (1  Cor.  xy, 
20.)  The  beautiful  ordinance  of  the  presentation 
of  the  sheaf  of  first-fruits  typified  the  resurrection 
of  Christ,  who,  "at  the  end  of  the  Sabbath,  as  it 
began  to  dawn  toward  the  first  day  of  the  week," 
rose  triumphant  from  the  tomb,  having  accomplished 
the  glorious  work  of  redemption.  His  was  a  "resur- 


338  LEVITICUS. 

rection  from  among  the  dead;"  and  in  it  we  have 
at  once  the  earnest  and  the  type  of  the  resurrection 
of  His  people.  "Christ  the  first-fruits  ;  afterwards 
they  that  are  Christ's  at  His  coming."  When  Christ 
comes,  His  people  will  be  raised  "from  among  the 
dead  \_EK  veKpG)v~],"  that  is,  those  of  them  that  sleep 
in  Jesus  ;  "but  the  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again 
until  the  thousand  years  were  finished."  (Rev.  xx. 
5.)  When,  immediately  after  the  transfiguration, 
our  blessed  Lord  spoke  of  His  rising  "from  among 
the  dead,"  the  disciples  questioned  among  them- 
selves what  that  could  mean.  (See  Mark  ix. )  Every 
orthodox  Jew  believed  in  the  doctrine  of  the  "res- 
urrection of  the  dead  \ava6ra6i^  rsxpcov'],"  but 
the  idea  of  a  "resurrection  from  among  the  dead 
\_ava.6ra6i^  EH  reKpajv~]"  was  what  the  disciples  wgre 
unable  to  grasp  ;  and  no  doubt  many  disciples  since 
then  have  felt  considerable  difficulty  with  respect  to 
a  myster}'  so  profound. 

However,  if  my  reader  will  prayerfully  study  and 
compare  1  Cor.  xv.  with  1  Thess.  iv.  13-18,  he  will 
get  much  precious  instruction  upon  this  most  inter- 
esting and  practical  truth.  He  can  also  look  at 
Romans  viii.  11  in  connection. — "But  if  the  Spirit  of 
Him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  \_EH  v£KpK>v~\ 
dwell  in  you,  He  that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead 
shall  also  quicken  your  mortal  bodies  by  His  Spirit 
that  dwelleth  in  you."  From  all  these  passages  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  resurrection  of  the  Church  will 
be  upon  precisely  the  same  principle  as  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ.  Both  the  Head  and  the  body  are 


CHAPTER    XXIII.  339 

shown  to  be  raised  "from  among  the  dead."  The 
first  sheaf  and  all  the  sheaves  that  follow  after  are 
morally  connected. 

It  must  be  evident  to  any  one  who  carefully  pon- 
ders the  subject  in  the  light  of  Scripture,  that  there 
is  a  very  material  difference  between  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  believer  and  the  resurrection  of  the  un- 
believer. Both  shall  be  raised  ;  but  Revelation  xx.  5 
proves  that  there  will  be  a  thousand  years  between 
the  two,  so  that  they  differ  both  as  to  the  principle 
and  as  to  the  time.  Some  have  found  difficulty  in 
reference  to  this  subject,  from  the  fact  that  in  John 
v.  28  our  Lord  speaks  of  "the  hour  in  the  which  all 
that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  His  voice."  How, 
it  may  be  asked,  can  there  be  a  thousand  }-ears  be- 
tween the  two  resurrections,  when  both  are  spoken 
of  as  occurring  in  an  "hour"?  The  answer  is  very 
simple.  In  verse  28,  the  quickening  of  dead  souls 
is  spoken  of  as  occurring  in  an  "hour;"  and  this 
work  has  been  going  on  for  over  eighteen  hundred 
}-ears.  Now,  if  a  period  of  nearly  two  thousand 
years  can  be  represented  by  the  word  "hour,"  what 
objection  can  there  be  to  the  idea  of  one  thousand 
years  being  represented  in  the  same  way?  Surely, 
none  whatever,  especially  when  it  is  expressly  stated 
that  "the  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again  until  the 
thousand  years  were  finished." 

But  furthermore,  when  we  find  mention  made  of 
"a  first  resurrection,"  is  it  not  evident  that  all  are 
not  to  be  raised  together  ?  Why  speak  of  a  "first" 
if  there  is  but  the  one  ?  It  may  be  said  that  "the 


340  LEVITICUS. 

first  resurrection"  refers  to  the  soul;  but  where  is 
the  Scripture  warrant  for  such  a  statement?  The 
solemn  fact  is  this:  when  the  "shout  of  the  arch- 
angel and  the  trump  of  God"  shall  be  heard,  the 
redeemed  who  sleep  in  Jesus  will  be  raised  to  meet 
Him  in  the  glory ;  the  wicked  dead,  whoever  they 
be,  from  the  days  of  Cain  down,  will  remain  in  their 
graves  during  the  thousand  years  of  millennial  bless- 
edness, and  at  the  close  of  that  bright  and  blissful 
period,  they  shall  come  forth  and  stand  before  "the 
great  white  throne,"  there  to  be  "judged  every 
man  according  to  his  works,"  and  to  pass  from  the 
throne  of  judgment  into  the  lake  of  fire.  Appalling 
thought ! 

Oh,  reader,  how  is  it  in  reference  to  your  precious 
soul  ?  Have  you  seen,  by  the  eye  of  faith,  the  blood 
of  the  paschal  Lamb  shed  to  screen  yoii  from  this 
terrible  hour?  Have  you  seen  the  precious  Sheaf  of 
first-fruits  reaped  and  gathered  into  the  heavenly 
garner,  as  the  earnest  of  your  being  gathered  in  due 
time?  These  are  solemn  questions — deeply  solemn. 
Do  not  put  them  aside.  See  that  you  are  noiv  under 
the  cover  of  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Remember,  3*011 
cannot  glean  so  much  as  a  single  ear  in  the  fields  of 
redemption  until  you  have  seen  the  true  Sheaf  waved 
before  the  Lord.  "Ye  shall  eat  neither  bread,  nor 
parched  corn,  nor  green  ears,  until  the  self-same  day 
that  }re  have  brought  an  offering  unto  }Tour  God." 
The  harvest  could  not  be  touched  until  the  sheaf  of 
first-fruits  had  been  presented,  and,  with  the  sheaf, 
a  burnt-offering  and  a  meat-offering. 


CHAPTER  XXIII.  341 

4 'And  ye  shall  count  unto  you  from  the  morrow 
after  the  Sabbath,  from  the  day  that  ye  brought  the 
sheaf  of  the  wave-offering ;  seven  Sabbaths  shall  be 
complete :  even  unto  the  morrow  after  the  seventh 
Sabbath  shall  ye  number  fifty  days ;  and  ye  shall 
offer  a  new  meat-offering  unto  the  Lord.  Ye  shall 
bring  out  of  your  habitations  two  wave-loaves  of  two 
tenth  deals :  they  shall  be  of  fine  flour ;  they  shall 
be  baken  with  leaven  ;  they  are  the  first-fruits  unto 
the  Lord."  (Ver.  15-17.)  This  is  the  feast  of  Pen- 
tecost— the  t}*pe  of  God's  people,  gathered  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  presented  before  Him,  in  connec- 
tion with  all  the  preciousness  of  Christ.  In  the 
passover  we  have  the  death  of  Christ,  in  the  sheaf 
of  first-fruits  we  have  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and 
in  the  feast  of  Pentecost  we  have  the  descent  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  form  the  Church.  All  this  is  divinely 
perfect.  The  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ  had 
to  be  accomplished  ere  the  Church  could  be  formed. 
The  sheaf  was  offered  and  then  the  loaves  were 
baked. 

And,  observe,  "they  shall  be  baken  with  leaven.'1 . 
Why  was  this  ?  Because  they  were  intended  to 
foreshadow  those  who,  though  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  adorned  with  His  gifts  and  graces,  had, 
nevertheless,  evil  dwelling  in  them.  The  assembly, 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  stood  in  the  full  value  of 
the  blood  of  Christ,  was  crowned  with  the  gifts  of 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  but  there  was  leaven  there  also. 
No  power  of  the  Spirit  could  do  away  with  the  fact 
that  there  was  evil  dwelling  in  the  people  of  God. 


342  LEVITICUS. 

It  might  be  suppressed  and  kept  out  of  view,  but  it 
was  there.  This  fact  is  foreshadowed  in  the  type 
by  the  leaven  in  the  two  loaves,  and  it  is  set  forth 
in  the  actual  history  of  the  Church ;  for  albeit  God 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  present  in  the  assembly,  the 
flesh  was  there  likewise  to  lie  unto  Him.  Flesh  is 
flesh,  nor  can  it  ever  be  made  aught  else  than  flesh. 
The  Holy  Ghost  did  not  come  down  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  to  improve  nature  or  do  away  with  the 
fact  of  its  incurable  evil,  but  to  baptize  believers 
into  one  body,  and  connect  them  with  their  living 
Head  in  heaven. 

Allusion  has  already  been  made,  in  the  chapter 
on  the  peace-offering,  to  the  fact  that  leaven  was 
permitted  in  connection  therewith.  It  was  the 
divine  recognition  of  the  evil  in  the  worshiper. 
Thus  is  it  also  in  the  ordinance  of  the  "two  wave- 
loaves;  "  they  were  to  be  "baken  with  leaven^ 
because  of  the  evil  in  the  antit}"pe. 

But,  blessed  be  God,  the  evil  which  was  divinely 
recognized  was  divinely  provided  for.  This  gives 
great  rest  and  comfort  to  the  heart.  It  is  a  comfort! 
to  be  assured  that  God  knows  the  worst  of  us  ;  and, 
moreover,  that  He  has  made  provision  according  to 
His  knowledge,  and  not  merely  according  to  ours. 
4 'And  3Te  shall  offer  with  the  bread  seven  lambs  with- 
out  blemish  of  the  first  year,  and  one  }Toung  bullock, 
and  two  rams ;  they  shall  be  for  a  burnt-offering 
unto  the  Lord,  with  their  meat-offering  and  their 
drink-offerings,  even  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of 
sweet  savor  unto  the  Lord."  (Ver.  18.)  Here,  then, 


CHAPTER    XXIII.  343 

we  have,  in  immediate  connection  with  the  leavened 
loaves,  the  presentation  of  an  unblemished  sacrifice, 
typifying  the  great  and  all-important  truth  that  it  is 
Christ's  perfectness,  and  not  our  sinfulness,  that  is 
ever  before  the  view  of  God.  Observe  particularly 
the  words,  "ye  shall  offer  ivith  the  bread  seven  lambs 
without  blemish. ' '  Precious  truth ! — deeply  precious, 
though  clothed  in  typic  dress !  May  the  reader  be 
enabled  to  enter  into  it,  to  make  his  own  of  it,  to 
stay  his  conscience  upon  it,  to  feed  and  refresh  his 
heart  with  it,  to  delight  his  whole  soul  in  it.  Not  I, 
but  Christ. 

Ib  may,  however,  be  objected  that  the  fact  of 
Christ's  being  a  spotless  Lamb  is  not  sufficient  to 
roll  the  burden  of  guilt  from  a  sin-stained  con- 
science— a  sweet-savor  offering  would  not,  of  itself, 
avail  for  a  guilty  sinner.  This  objection  might  be 
urged,  but  our  t}-pe  fully  meets  and  entirely  removes 
it.  It  is  quite  true  that  a  burnt-offering  would  not 
have  been  sufficient  where  "leaven"  was  in  question  ; 
and  hence  we  read,  "Then  ye  shall  sacrifice  one  kid 
of  the  goats  for  a  sin-offering,  and  two  lambs  of  the 
first  year  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings."  (Ver. 
19.)  The  "sin-offering"  was  the  answer  to  the 
"leaven"  in  the  loaves:  "peace"  was  established, 
so  that  communion  could  be  enjoyed,  and  all  went 
up  in  immediate  connection  with  the  "sweet  savor" 
of  the  "burnt-offering"  unto  the  Lord. 

Thus,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  Church  was 
presented  in  all  the  value  and  excellency  of  Christ, 
through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Though 


344  LEVITICUS. 

having  in  itself  the  leaven  of  the  old  nature,  that 
leaven  was  not  reckoned,  because  the  divine  Sin- 
offering  had  perfectly  answered  for  it.  The  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  did  not  remove  the  leaven,  but 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb  had  atoned  for  it.  This  is  a 
most  interesting  and  important  distinction.  The 
work  of  the  Spirit  in  the  believer  does  not  remove 
indwelling  evil.  It  enables  him  to  detect,  judge, 
and  subdue  the  evil;  but  no  amount  of  spiritual 
power  can  do  away  with  the  fact  that  the  evil  is 
there — though,  blessed  be  God,  the  conscience  is  at 
perfect  ease,  inasmuch  as  the  blood  of  our  Sin-offer- 
ing has  eternally  settled  the  whole  question ;  and 
therefore,  instead  of  our  evil  being  under  the  eye  of 
God,  it  has  been  put  out  of  sight  forever,  and  we 
are  accepted  in  all  the  acceptableness  of  Christ,  who 
offered  Himself  to  God  as  a  sweet-smelling  sacrifice, 
that  He  might  perfectly  glorify  Him  in  all  things, 
and  be  the  food  of  His  people  forever. 

Thus  much  as  to  Pentecost — after  which  a  long 
period  is  suffered  to  roll  on  ere  we  have  any  move- 
ment amongst  the  people.  There  is,  however,  the 
notice  of  "the  poor  and  stranger"  in  that  beautiful 
ordinance  which  has  already  been  referred  to  in  its 
moral  aspect.  Here  we  may  look  at  it  in  a  dispen- 
sational  point  of  view.  "And  when  ye  reap  the 
harvest  of  your  land,  thou  shalt  not  make  clean 
riddance  of  the  corners  of  thy  field  when  thou  reap- 
est,  neither  shalt  thou  gather  any  gleaning  of  thy 
harvest ;  thou  shalt  leave  them  unto  the  poor,  and 
to  the  stranger:  I  am  the  Lord  your  God."  (Ver. 


CHAPTER    XXIII.  345 

22.)  Provision  is  here  made  for  the  stranger  to 
glean  in  Israel's  fields.  The  Gentile  is  to  be  brought 
in  to  participate  in  the  overflowing  goodness  of  God. 
When  Israel's  storehouse  and  wine-press  have  been 
fully  furnished,  there  will  be  precious  sheaves  and 
rich  clusters  for  the  Gentile  to  gather. 

We  are  not,  however,  to  suppose  that  the  spiritual 
blessings  with  which  the  Church  is  endowed  in  the 
heavenlies  with  Christ  are  set  forth  under  the  figure 
of  a  stranger  gleaning  in  Israel's  fields.  These 
blessings  are  as  new  to  the  seed  of  Abraham  as  they 
are  to  the  Gentile.  They  are  not  the  gleanings  of 
Canaan,  but  the  glories  of  heaven — the  glories  of 
Christ.  The  Church  is  not  merely  blessed  by  Christ, 
but  with  and  in  Christ.  The  bride  of  Christ  will 
not  be  sent  forth  to  gather  up,  as  a  stranger,  the 
sheaves  and  clusters  in  the  corners  of  Israel's  fields 
and  from  the  branches  of  Israel's  vines.  No ;  she 
tastes  of  higher  blessings,  richer  joys,  nobler  digni- 
ties, than  aught  that  Israel  ever  knew.  She  is  not 
to  glean  as  a  stranger  on  earth,  but  to  enjoy  her 
own  wealthy  and  happy  home  in  heaven,  to  which 
she  belongs.  This  is  the  "better  thing"  which  God 
hath,  in  His  manifold  wisdom  and  grace,  "reserved" 
for  her.  No  doubt  it  will  be  a  gracious  privilege 
for  "the  stranger"  to  be  permitted  to  glean  after 
Israel'^  harvest  is  reaped  ;  but  the  Church's  portion 
is  incomparably  higher,  even  to  be  the  bride  of 
Israel's  King,  the  partner  of  His  throne,  the  sharer 
X)f  His  jo}'s,  His  dignities,  and  His  glories ;  to  be 
like  Him  and  with  Him  forever.  The  eternal  man- 


346  LEVITICUS. 

sions  of  the  Father's  house  on  high,  and  not  the 
ungleaned  corners  of  Israel's  fields  below,  are  to  be 
the  Church's  portion.  May  \ve  ever  bear  this  in 
mind,  and  live,  in  some  small  degree,  worthy  of 
such  a  holy  and  elevated  destination. 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  sa}"ing,  In  the  seventh 
month,  in  the  first  day  of  the  month,  shall  }-e  have 
a  Sabbath,  a  memoral  of  blowing  of  trumpets,  a 
holy  convocation.  Ye  shall  do  no  servile  work; 
but  )*e  shall  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord.'"  (Ver.  23-25.)  A  new  subject  is  introduced 
here  by  the  words,  "the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses," 
which,  let  me  remark  in  passing,  affords  an  interest- 
ing help  in  classifying  the  subjects  of  the  entire 
chapter.  Thus,  the  Sabbath,  the  passover,  and  the 
feast  of  unleavened  bread  are  given  under  the  first 
communication ;  the  wave-sheaf,  the  wave-loaves, 
and  the  ungleaned  corners  are  given  under  the 
second ;  after  which  we  have  a  long  unnoticed  in- 
terval ;  and  then  comes  the  soul-stirring  feast  of 
trumpets,  on  the  first  day  of  the  seventh  month. 
This  ordinance  leads  us  on  to  the  time,  now  fast 
approaching,  when  the  remnant  of  Israel  shall  "blow 
the  trumpet"  for  a  memorial,  calling  to  remem- 
brance their  long-lost  glor}7,  and  stirring  up  them- 
selves to  seek  the  Lord. 

The  feast  of  trumpets  is  intimately  connected 
with  another  great  solemnity,  namely,  "the  day  of 
atonement."  "Also  on  the  tenth  day  of  this  seventh 
month  there  shall  be  a  day  of  atonement:  it  shall 


CHAPTER    XXIII.  347 

be  a  holy  convocation  unto  }'ou  ;  and  3*6  shall  afflict 
your  souls,  and  offer  an  offering  make  by  fire  unto 
the  Lord.  And  ye  shall  do  no  work  in  that  same 
day ;  for  it  is  a  day  of  atonement,  to  make  an 
atonement  for  you  before  the  Lord  your  God.  .  .  . 
It  shall  be  unto  you  a  Sabbath  of  rest,  and  ye  shall 
afflict  3'our  souls:  in  the  ninth  day  of  the  month  at 
even,  from  even  unto  even,  shall  ye  celebrate  3Tour 
Sabbath."  (Ver.  27-32.)  Thus,  after  the  blowing 
of  the  trumpets,  an  interval  of  eight  days  elapses, 
and  then  we  have  the  da3r  of  atonement,  with  which 
these  things  are  connected,  namely,  affliction  of 
soul,  atonement  for  sin,  and  rest  from  labor.  All 
these  things  will  find  their  due  place  in  the  experi- 
ence of  the  Jewish  remnant  by  and  b3r.  "The 
harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is  ended,  and  we  are 
not  saved."  (Jer.  viii.  20.)  Such  will  be  the  pa- 
thetic lament  of  the  remnant  when  the  Spirit  of  God 
shall  have  begun  to  touch  their  heart  and  conscience. 
"And  they  shall  look  upon  Me  whom  they  have 
pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn  for  Him,  as  one 
mourneth  for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness 
for  Him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  her  first- 
born. In  that  day  shall  there  be  a  great  mourning 
in  Jerusalem,  as  the  mourning  of  Hadadrimmon  in 
the  valley  of  Megiddon.  And  the  land  shall  mourn, 
every  family  apart,"  etc.  (Zech.  xii.  10-14.) 

What  deep  mourning,  what  intense  affliction,  what 
genuine  penitence,  there  will  be,  when,  under  the 
mighty  action  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  conscience  of 
the  remnant  shall  recall  the  sins  of  the  past — the 


348  LEVITICUS. 

neglect  of  the  Sabbath,  the  breach  of  the  law,  the 
stoning  of  the  prophets,  the  piercing  of  the  Son, 
the  resistance  of  the  Spirit !  All  these  things  will 
come  in  array  on  the  tablets  of  an  enlightened  and 
exercised  conscience,  and  produce  keen  affliction 
of  soul. 

But  the  blood  of  atonement  will  meet  all.  "In 
that  day  there  shall  be  a  fountain  opened  to  the 
house  of  David  and  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem 
for  sin  and  for  uncleanness."  (Zech.  xiii.  1.)  They 
will  be  made  to  feel  their  guilt  and  be  afflicted,  and 
they  will  also  be  led  to  see  the  efficacy  of  the  blood, 
and  find  perfect  peace — a  Sabbath  of  rest  unto 
their  souls. 

Now,  when  such  results  shall  have  been  reached 
in  the  experience  of  Israel  in  the  latter  day,  for 
what  should  we  look?  Surely,  THE  GLORY.  When 
the  "blindness"  is  removed  and  "the  vail"  taken 
away,  when  the  heart  of  the  remnant  is  turned  to 
Jehovah,  then  shall  the  bright  beams  of  the  "Sun 
of  righteousness"  fall,  in  healing,  restoring,  and 
saving  power,  upon  a  truly  penitent,  afflicted,  and 
poor  people.  To  enter  elaborately  upon  this  subject 
would  demand  a  volume  in  itself.  The  exercises, 
the  experiences,  the  conflicts,  the  trials,  the  diffi- 
culties, and  the  ultimate  blessings  of  the  Jewish 
remnant  are  fully  detailed  throughout  the  psalms 
and  prophets.  The  existence  of  such  a  body  must 
be  clearly  seen  ere  the  psalms  and  prophets  can  be 
studied  with  intelligence  and  satisfaction.  Not  but 
that  we  may  learn  much  from  those  portions  of  in- 


CHAPTER   XXIII.  349 

spiration,  for  "all  Scripture  is  profitable  ;  "  but  the 
surest  way  to  make  a  right  use  of  any  portion  of  the 
Word  of  God,  is  to  understand  its  primary  applica- 
tion. If,  then,  we  apply  scriptures  to  the  Church, 
or  heavenly  body,  which  belong,  strictly  speaking,  to 
the  Jewish  remnant,  or  earthly  body,  we  must  be 
involved  in  serious  error  as  to  both  the  one  and  the 
other.  In  point  of  fact,  it  happens  in  many  cases 
that  the  existence  of  such  a  body  as  the  remnant  is 
completely  ignored,  and  the  true  position  and  hope 
of  the  Church  are  entirely  lost  sight  of.  These  are 
grave  errors,  which  m}*  reader  should  sedulously  seek 
to  avoid.  Let  him  not  suppose  for  a  moment  that 
they  are  mere  speculations,  fitted  only  to  engage 
the  attention  of  the  curious,  and  possessing  no 
practical  power  whatever.  There  could  not  be  a 
more  erroneous  supposition.  What !  is  it  of  no 
practical  value  to  us  to  know  whether  we  belong  to 
earth  or  heaven?  is  it  of  no  real  moment  to  us  to 
know  whether  we  shall  be  at  rest  in  the  mansions 
above  or  passing  through  the  apocalyptic  judgments 
down  here?  Who  could  admit  aught  so  unreason- 
able? The  truth  is,  it  would  be  difficult  to  fix  on 
any  line  of  truth  more  practical  than  that  which 
unfolds  the  distinctive  destinies  of  the  earthly  rem- 
nant and  the  heavenly  Church.  I  shall  not  pursue 
the  subject  further  here  ;  but  the  reader  will  find  it 
well  worthy  of  his  calm  and  prayerful  study.  We 
shall  close  this  section  with  a  view  of  the  feast  of 
tabernacles — the  last  solemnity  of  the  Jewish  year. 
"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Speak 


350  LEVITICUS. 

unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  The  fifteenth 
day  of  this  seventh  month  shall  be  the  feast  of  tab- 
ernacles for  seven  days  unto  the  Lord Also 

in  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month,  when  }*e 
have  gathered  in  the  fruit  of  the  land,  ye  shall  keep 
a  feast  unto  the  Lord  seven  days :  on  the  first  day 
shall  be  a  Sabbath,  and  on  the  eighth  shall  be  a 
Sabbath.  And  ye  shall  take  you  oil  the  first  day 
the  boughs  of  goodly  trees,  branches  of  palm-trees, 
and  boughs  of  thick  trees,  and  willows  of  the  brook  ; 
and  ye  shall  rejoice  before  the  Lord  3'our  God  seven 
days.  And  ye  shall  keep  it  a  feast  unto  the  Lord 
seven  days  in  the  3*6 ar :  it  shall  be  a  statute  for- 
ever in  your  generations ;  ye  shall  celebrate  it  in 
the  seventh  month.  Ye  shall  dwell  in  booths  seven 
days :  all  that  are  Israelites  born  shall  dwell  in 
booths ;  that  your  generations  may  know  that  I 
made  the  children  of  Israel  to  dwell  in  booths,  when 
I  brought  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt:  I  am  the 
Lord  your  God.'"  (Ver.  33-43.) 

This  feast  points  us  forward  to  the  time  of  Israel's 
glory  in  the  latter  day,  and  therefore  it  forms  a  most 
lovely  and  appropriate  close  to  the  whole  series  of 
feasts.  The  harvest  was  gathered  in,  all  was  done, 
the  storehouses  were  amply  furnished,  and  Jehovah 
would  have  His  people  to  give  expression  to  their 
festive  joy.  But,  alas!  they  seem  to  have  had  but 
little  heart  to  enter  into  the  divine  thought  in  refer- 
ence to  this  most  delightful  ordinance.  They  lost 
sight  of  the  fact  that  they  had  been  strangers  and 
pilgrims,  and  hence  their  long  neglect  of  this  feast. 


CHAPTER    XXIII.  351 

From  the  days  of  Joshua  down  to  the  time  of  Nehe- 
miah,  the  least  of  tabernacles  had  never  once  been 
celebrated.  It  was  reserved  for  the  feeble  remnant 
that  returned  from  the  Babylonish  captivity  to  do 
what  had  not  been  done  even  in  the  bright  days  of 
Solomon.  "And  all  the  congregation  of  them  that 
were  come  again  out  of  the  captivity  made  tooths, 
and  sat  under  the  booths:  for  since  the  days  of 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  unto  that  day,  had  not  the 
children  of  Israel  done  so.  And.  there  was  very 
great  gladness."  (Neh.  viii.  17.)  How  refreshing 
it  must  have  been  to  those  who  had  hung  their  harps 
on  the  willows  of  Babylon,  to  find  themselves  be- 
neath the  shade  of  the  willows  of  Canaan !  It  was 
a  sweet  foretaste  of  that  time  of  which  the  feast  of 
tabernacles  was  the  type,  when  Israel's  restored 
tribes  shall  repose  within  those  millennial  bowers 
which  the  faithful  hand  of  Jehovah  will  erect  for 
them  in  the  land  which  He  sware  to  give  unto  Abra- 
ham and  to  his  seed  forever.  Thrice-happy  moment 
when  the  heavenly  and  the  earthly  shall  meet  as 
intimated  in  "the  first  day"  and  "the  eighth  day" 
of  the  feast  of  tabernacles  !  "The  heavens  shall 
hear  the  earth,  and  the  earth  shall  hear  the  corn  and 
the  wine  and  the  oil,  and  they  shall  hear  Jezreel." 

There  is  a  fine  passage  in  the  last  chapter  of 
Zechariah  which  goes  to  prove  very  distinctly  that 
the  true  celebration  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles  be- 
longs to  the  glory  of  the  latter  day. — "And  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  every  one  that  is  left  of  all  the 
nations  which  came  against  Jerusalem,  shall  even  go 

21 


352  LEVITICUS. 

up  from  year  to  year  to  worship  the  King,  the  Lord 
of  hosts,  and  to  keep  the  feast  of  tabernacles." 
(Chap.  xiv.  16.)  What  a  scene!  Who  would  seek 
to  rob  it  of  its  characteristic  beauty  by  a  vague 
system  of  interpretation  falsely  called  spiritualizing? 
Surely,  Jerusalem  means  Jerusalem,  nations  mean 
nations,  and  the  feast  of  tabernacles  means  the 
feast  of  tabernacles.  Is  there  any  thing  incredible 
in  this  ?  Surely,  nothing,  save  to  man's  reason, 
which  rejects  all  that  lies  beyond  its  narrow  range. 
The  feast  of  tabernacles  shall  yet  be  celebrated  in 
the  land  of  Canaan,  and  the  nations  of  the  saved 
shall  go  up  thither  to  participate  in  its  glorious  and 
hallowed  festivities.  Jerusalem's  warfare  shall  then 
be  accomplished  ;  the  roar  of  battle  shall  cease  ;  the 
sword  and  the  spear  shall  be  transformed  into  the 
implements  of  peaceful  agriculture ;  Israel  shall 
repose  beneath  the  refreshing  shade  of  their  vines 
and  fig-trees ;  and  all  the  earth  shall  rejoice  in 
the  government  of  "the  Prince  of  Peace."  Such 
is  the  prospect  presented  in  the  unerring  pages 
of  inspiration.  The  types  foreshadow  it,  the 
prophets  prophesy  of  it,  faith  believes  it,  and  hope 
anticipates  it. 

NOTE. — At  the  close  of  our  chapter  we  read, 
"And  Moses  declared  unto  the  children  of  Israel 
the  feasts  of  the  Lord."  This  was  their  true  char- 
acter, their  original  title  ;  but  in  the  gospel  of  John 
they  are  called  "feasts  of  the  Jews."  They  had  long 
ceased  to  be  Jehovah's  feasts.  He  was  shut  out. 


CHAPTER    XXIV.  353 

They  did  not  want  Him ;  and  hence,  in  John  vii, 
when  Jesus  was  asked  to  go  up  to  "the  Jews'  feast 
of  tabernacles,"  He  answered,  "My  time  is  not  3*et 
come  ;"  and  when  He  did  go  up,  it  was  "privately," 
to  take  His  place  outside  of  the  whole  thing,  and  to 
call  upon  every  thirsty  soul  to  come  unto  Him  and 
drink.  There  is  a  solemn  lesson  in  this.  Divine 
institutions  are  speedily  marred  in  the  hands  of 
man  ;  but,  oh  !  how  deeply  blessed  to  know  that  the 
thirsty  soul  that  feels  the  barrenness  and  drought 
connected  with  a  scene  of  empty  religious  formalit}-, 
has  only  to  flee  to  Jesus  and  drink  freely  of  His 
exhaustless  springs,  aiid  so  become  a  channel  of 
blessing  to  others. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THERE  is  very  much  to  interest  the  spiritual  mind 
in  this  brief  section.  We  have  seen  in  chapter 
xxiii.  the  history  of  the  dealings  of  God  with  Israel, 
from  the  offering  up  of  the  true  paschal  Lamb,  until 
the  rest  and  gloiy  of  the  millennial  kingdom.  In  the 
chapter  now  before  us,  we  have  two  grand  ideas, 
namel}',  first,  the  unfailing  record  and  memorial  of 
the  twelve  tribes,  maintained  before  God  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  and  the  efficacy  of  Christ's 
priesthood  ;  and  secondly,  the  apostacy  of  Israel 
after  the  flesh,  and  divine  judgment  executed  there- 
on. It  is  the  clear  apprehension  of  the  former  that 
will  enable  us  to  contemplate  the  latter. 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Com- 


354  LEVITICUS. 

mand  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  bring  unto 
thee  pure  oil  olive,  beaten  for  the  light,  to  cause  the 
lamps  to  burn  continually.  Without  the  vail  of  the 
testimonj',  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
shall  Aaron  order  it  from  the  evening  unto  the  morn- 
ing, before  the  Lord  continually ;  it  shall  be  a  statute 
forever  in  your  generations.  He  shall  order  the 
lamps  upon  the  pure  candlestick  before  the  Lord 
continually.''"  (Ver.  1-4.)  The  "pure  oil"  repre- 
sents the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  founded  upon  the 
work  of  Christ,  as  exhibited  by  the  candlestick  of 
"beaten  gold."  The  "olive"  was  pressed  to  yield 
the  "oil,"  and  the  gold  was  "beaten"  to  form  the 
candlestick.  In  other  words,  the  grace  and  light  of 
the  Spirit  are  founded  upon  the  death  of  Christ, 
and  maintained  in  clearness  and  power  by  the  priest- 
hood of  Christ.  The  golden  lamp  diffused  its  light 
throughout  the  precincts  of  the  sanctuary  during 
the  dreary  hours  of  night,  when  darkness  brooded 
over  the  nation  and  all  were  wrapped  in  slumber. 
In  all  this  we  have  a  vivid  presentation  of  God's 
faithfulness  to  His  people  whatever  might  be  their 
outward  condition.  Darkness  and  slumber  might 
settle  down  upon  them,  but  the  lamp  was  to  burn 
"continually."  The  high-priest  was  responsible  to 
keep  the  steady  light  of  testimony  burning  during 
the  tedious  hours  of  the  night.  "Without  the  vail 
of  the  testimoiw,  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion, shall  Aaron  order  it  from  the  evening  unto  the 
morning,  before  the  Lord  continually."  The  main- 
tenance of  this  light  was  not  left  dependent  upon 


CHAPTER    XXIV.  355 

Israel :  God  had  provided  one  whose  office  it  was 
to  look  after  it  and  order  it  continually. 

But  further,  we  read,  "And  thou  shalt  take  fine 
flour,  and  bake  twelve  cakes  thereof:  two  tenth 
deals  shall  be  in  one  cake.  And  thou  shalt  set  them 
in  two  rows,  six  in  a  row,  upon  the  pure  table  before 
the  Lord.  And  thou  shalt  put  pure  frankincense 
upon  each  row,  that  it  may  be  on  the  bread  for  a 
memorial,  even  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord.  Every  Sabbath  he  shall  set  it  in  order  before 
the  Lord  continually,  being  taken  from  the  children 
of  Israel  by  an  everlasting  covenant.  And  it  shall 
be  Aaron's  and  his  sons' ;  and  they  shall  eat  it  in 
the  holy  place:  for  it  is  most  holy  unto  him  of  the 
offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire,  by  a  perpetual 
statute. "  (Yer.  5-9. )  There  is  no  mention  of  leaven 
in  these  loaves.  They  represent,  I  doubt  not,  Christ 
in  immediate  connection  with  "the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel."  They  were  laid  up  in  the  sanctuary  before 
the  Lord,  on  the  pure  table,  for  seven  da3's,  after 
which  they  became  the  food  of  Aaron  and  his  sons, 
furnishing  another  striking  figure  of  Israel's  condi- 
tion in  the  view  of  Jehovah,  whatever  might  be  their 
outward  aspect.  The  twelve  tribes  are  ever  before 
Him.  Their  memorial  can  never  perish.  They  are 
ranged  in  divine  order  in  the  sanctuary,  covered 
with  the  fragrant  incense  of  Christ,  and  reflected 
from  the  pure  table  whereon  they  rest  beneath  the 
bright  beams  of  that  golden  lamp  which  shines  with 
undimmed  lustre  through  the  darkest  hour  of  the 
nation's  moral  night. 


356  LEviTicys. 

Now,  it  is  well  to  see  that  we  are  not  sacrificing 
sound  judgment  or  divine  truth  on  the  altar  of  fan  03", 
when  we  venture  to  interpret,  after  such  a  fashion, 
the  nrystic  furniture  of  the  sanctuary..  We  are 
taught  in  Hebrews  ix.  that  all  these  things  were 
"the  patterns  of  things  in  the  heavens  ;"  and  again, 
in  Hebrews  x.  1,  that  they  were  "a  shadow  of  good 
things  to  come."  We  are  therefore  warranted  in 
believing  that  there  are  "things  in  the  heavens" 
answering  to  the  "patterns" — that  there  is  a  sub- 
stance answering  to  the  "shadow."  In  a  word,  we 
are  warranted  in  believing  that  there  is  that  "in  the 
heavens"  which  answers  to  "the  seven  lamps," 
"the  pure  table,"  and  the  "twelve  loaves."  This 
is  not  human  imagination,  but  divine  truth,  on  which 
faith  has  fed  in  all  ages.  What  was  the  meaning  of 
Elijah's  altar  of  "twelve  stones"  on  the  top  of 
Carmel?  It  was  nothing  "else  than  the  expression  of 
his  faith  in  that  truth  of  which  the  "twelve  loaves" 
were  ".the  pattern"  or  "the  shadow."  He  believed 
in  the  unbroken  unity  of  the  nation,  maintained 
before  God  in  the  eternal  stability  of  the  promise 
made  to  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  whatever 
might  be  the  external  condition  of  the  nation.  Man 
might  look  in  vain  for  the  manifested  unity  of  the 
twelve  tribes  ;  but  faith  could  always  look  within 
the  hallowed  inclosure  of  the  sanctuary,  and  there 
see  the  twelve  loaves,  covered  with  pure  frankin- 
cense, ranged  in  divine  order  on  the  pure  table ; 
and  even  though  all  without  were  wrapped  in  mid- 
night's gloomy  shades,  yet  could  faith  discern,  by 


CHAPTER    XXIV.  357 

the  light  of  the  seven  golden  lamps,  the  same  grand 
truth  foreshadowed,  namely,  the  indissoluble  unity 
of  Israel's  twelve  tribes. 

Thus  it  was  then,  and  thus  it  is  now.  The  night 
is  dark  and  gloom}".  There  is  not,  in  all  this  lower 
world,  so  much  as  a  single  ray  by  which  the  human 
e}*e  can  trace  the  unity  of  Israel's  tribes.  They 
are  scattered  among  the  nations,  and  lost  to  man's 
vision ;  but  their  memorial  is  before  the  Lord. 
Faith  owns  this,  because  it  knows  that  "all  the 
promises  of  God  are  3*ea  and  amen  in  Christ  Jesus." 
It  sees  in  the  tipper  sanctuary,  by  the  Spirit's  per- 
fect light,  the  twelve  tribes  faithfully  memorialized. 
Hearken  to  the  following  noble  accents  of  faith: 
"And  now  I  stand  and  am  judged  for  the  hope  of 
the  promise  made  of  God  unto  our  fathers :  unto 
which  promise  our  twelve  tribes,  instantly  serving 
God  night  and  day  [wnra  xai  rjuzpav^,  hope  to 
come."  (Acts  xxvi.  6,  7.)*  Now,  if  King  Agrippa 
had  asked  Paul,  Where  are  the  twelve  tribes  ?  could 
he  have  shown  them  to  him  ?  No.  But  why  not  ? 
Was  it  because  they  were  not  to  be  seen  ?  No  ;  but 
because  Agrippa  had  not  e\*es  to  see  them.  The 
twelve  tribes  lay  far  be}'ond  the  range  of  Agrippa's 
vision.  It  needed  the  eye  of  faith  and  the  gracious 
light  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  be  able  tor  discern  the 
twelve  loaves,  ordered  upon  the  pure  table  in  the 
sanctuary  of  God.  There  they  were,  and  Paul  saw 
them  there,  though  the  moment  in  which  he  gave 
utterance  to  his  sublime  conviction  was  as  dark  as 
it  well  could  be.  Faith  is  not  governed  by  appear- 


358  LEVITICUS. 

ances.  It  takes  its  stand  upon  the  lofty  rock  of 
God's  eternal  Word,  and,  in  all  the  calmness  and 
certainty  of  that  holy  elevation,  feeds  upon  the  im- 
mutable word  of  Him  who  cannot  lie.  Unbelief  may 
stupidly  stare  about  and  ask,  Where  are  the  twelve 
tribes  ?  or  how  can  the^  be  found  and  restored  ? 
It  is  impossible  to  give  an  answer.  Not  because 
there  is  no  answer  to  be  given,  but  because  unbelief 
is  utterly  incapable  of  rising  to  the  elevated  point 
.from  which  the  answer  can  be  seen.  Faith  is  as 
sure  that  the  memorial  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel 
is  before  the  63*  e  of  Israel's  God,  as  it  is  that  the 
twelve  loaves  were  laid  on  the  golden  table  every 
Sabbath  day.  But  who  can  convince  the  skeptic  or 
the  infidel  of  this  ?  who  can  secure  credence  for 
such  a  truth  from  those  who  are  governed,  in  all 
things,  by  reason  or  sense,  and  know  nothing  of 
what  it  is  to  hope  against  hope  ?  Faith  finds  divine 
certainties  and  eternal  -realities  in  the  midst  of  a 
scene  where  reason  and  sense  can  find  nothing. 
Oh  for  a  more  profound  faith !  May  we  grasp,  with 
more  intense  earnestness,  every  word  that  proceed- 
eth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  and  feed  upon  it 
in  all  the  artless  simplicity  of  a  little  child. 

We  shall  now  turn  to  the  second  point  in  our 
chapter,  namely,  the  apostacy  of  Israel  after  the 
flesh,  and  the  divine  judgment  thereon. 

"And  the  son  of  an  Israelitish  woman,  whose 
father  was  an  Egyptian,  went  out  among  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel :  and  this  son  of  an  Israelitish  woman 
and  a  man  of  Israel  strove  together  in  the  camp ; 


CHAPTER    XXIV.  359 

and  the  Israelitish  woman's  son  blasphemed  the 
name  of  the  LORD,  and  cursed.  And  they  brought 

him  unto  Moses ; and  they  put  him  in 

ward,  that  the  mind  of  the  Lord  might  be  showed 
them.  And  the  Lord*  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 
4  Bring  forth  him  that  hath  cursed  without  the  camp  ; 
and  let  all  that  heard  him  lay  their  hands  upon  his 
head,  and  let  all  the  congregation  stone  him.'  .  .  . 
.  .  .  And  Moses  spake  to  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  they  should  bring  forth  him  that  had  cursed 
out  of  the  camp,  and  stone  him  with  stones.  And 
the  children  of  Israel  did  as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses."  (Ver.  10-23.) 

The  peculiar  place  assigned  by  the  inspired  pen- 
man to  this  narrative  is  striking  and  interesting.  I 
have  no  doubt  whatever  but  that  it  is  designed  to 
give  us  the  opposite  side  of  the  picture  presented  in 
the  opening  verses  of  the  chapter.  Israel  after  the 
flesh  Las  grievously  failed,  and  sinned  against  Jeho- 
vah ;  the  name  of  the  Lord  has  been  blasphemed 
amongst  the  Gentiles ;  wrath  has  come  upon  the 
nation ;  the  judgments  of  an  offended  God  have 
fallen  upon  them  ;  but  the  day  is  coming  when  the 
dark  and  heavy  cloud  of  judgment  shall  roll  away, 
and  then  shall  the  twelve  tribes,  in  their  unbroken 
unity,  stand  forth  before  all  the  nations  as  the 
amazing  monument  of  Jehovah's  faithfulness  and 
loving-kindness.  "And  in  that  day  thou  shalt  say, 
O  Lord,  I  will  praise  Thee  ;  though  Thou  wast  angry 
with  me,  Thine  anger  is  turned  away,  and  Thou 
comfortedst  me.  Behold,  God  is  my  salvation ;  I 


360  LEVITICUS. 

will  trust,  and  not  be  afraid :  for  the  Lord  JEHO- 
VAH is  my  strength  and  my  song,  He  also  is  be- 
come my  salvation.  Therefore  with  joy  shall  ye 
draw  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation.  And  in 
that  day  shall  ye  say,  Praise»the  Lord,  call  upon  His 
name,  declare  His  doings  among  the  people,  make 
mention  that  His  name  is  exalted.  Sing  unto  the 
Lord ;  for  he  hath  done  excellent  things :  this  is 
known  in  all  the  earth.  Cry  out  and  shout,  thou 
inhabitant  of  Zion  ;  for  great  is  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel  in  the  midst  of  thee."  (Isa.  xii.)  "For  I 
would  not,  brethren,  that  ye  should  be  ignorant  of 
this  mystery,  lest  ye  should  be  wise  in  3-0111*  own 
conceits,  that  blindness  in  part  is  happened  to  Israel, 
until  the  fullness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in.  And 
so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved  :  as  it  is  written,  'There 
shall  come  out  of  Sion  the  Deliverer,  and  shall  turn 
away  ungodliness  from  Jacob.  For  this  is  My  cov- 
enant unto  them,  when  I  shall  take  away  their  sins.' 
As  concerning  the  gospel,  they  are  enemies  for  3rour 
sakes  ;  but  as  touching  the  election,  they  are  beloved 
for  the  fathers'  sakes.  For  the  gifts  and  calling  of 
God  are  without  repentance.  For  as  3-6  in  times 
past  have  not  believed  God,  3*et  have  now  obtained 
merc3r  through  their  unbelief;  even  so  have  these 
also  now  not  believed  in  your  mercy,  that  they  also 
may  obtain  mercy.  For  God  hath  concluded  them 
all  in  unbelief,  that  He  might  have  mercy  upon  all. 
O  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and 
knowledge  of  God  !  how  unsearchable  are  His  judg- 
ments, and  His  ways  past  finding  out !  For  who 


CHAPTER    XXIV.  361 

hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord  ?  or  who  hath 
been  His  counselor  ?  or  who  hath  first  given  to  Him, 
and  it  shall  be  recompensed  to  him  again  ?  For  of 
Him  and  through  Him  and  to  Him  are  all  things  ;  to 
whom  be  glory  forever.  Amen."  (Rom.  xi.  25-36.) 
Passages  might  be  multiplied  to  prove  that  though 
Israel  is  suffering  the  divine  judgment  because  of 
sin,  yet  "the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  without 
repentance" — that  though  the  blasphemer  is  being 
stoned  without  the  camp,  the  twelve  loaves  are  un- 
disturbed within  the  sanctuary.  "The  voices  of  the 
prophets"  declare,  and  the  voices  of  apostles  re- 
echo the  glorious  truth  that  "all  Israel  shall  be 
saved;"  not  because  they  have  not  sinned,  but 
because  "the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  without 
repentance."  Let  Christians  beware  how  they  tam- 
per with  "the  promises  made  unto  the  fathers."  If 
these  promises  be  explained  away  or  misapplied,  it 
must  necessarily  weaken  our  moral  sense  of  the 
divine  integrity  and  accuracy  of  Scripture  as  a 
whole.  If  one  part  may  be  explained  away,  so  may 
another  ;  if  one  passage  may  be  vaguely  interpreted, 
so  may  another ;  and  thus  it  would  come  to  pass 
that  we  should  be  deprived  of  all  that  blessed  cer- 
tainty which  constitutes  the  foundation  of  our  repose 
in  reference  to  all  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken.  But 
more  of  this  as  we  dwell  upon  the  remaining  chap- 
ters of  our  book. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

* 

THE  intelligent  reader  will  discern  a  strong  moral 
link  between  this  and  the  preceding  chapter. 
In  chapter  xxiv,  we  learn  that  the  house  of  Israel  is 
preserved  for  the  land  of  Canaan ;  in  chapter  xxv, 
we  learn  that  the  land  of  Canaan  is  preserved  for 
the  house  of  Israel.  Taking  both  together,  we  have 
the  record  of  a  truth  which  no  power  of  earth  or 
hell  can  obliterate — "All  Israel  shall  be  saved," 
and  "the  land  shall  not  be  sold  forever."  The 
former  of  these  statements  enunciates  a  principle 
which  has  stood  like  a  rock  amid  the  ocean  of  con- 
flicting interpretations,  while  the  latter  declares  a 
fact  which  many  nations  of  the  uncirctimcised  have 
sought  in  vain  to  ignore. 

The  reader  will,  I  doubt  not,  observe  the  peculiar 
way  in  which  our  chapter  opens. — "And  the  Lord 
spake  unto  Moses  in  Mount  Sinai."  The  principal 
part  of  the  communications  contained  in  the  book 
of  Leviticus  is  characterized  by  the  fact  of  its  em- 
anating "from  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation." 
This  is  easily  accounted  for.  Those  communications 
have  special  reference  to  the  service,  communion, 
and  worship  of  the  priests,  or  to  the  moral  condition 
of  the  people,  and  hence  they  are  issued,  as  might 
be  expected,  from  "the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion," that  grand  centre  of  all  that  appertained  in 
any  way  to  priestly  service.  Here,  however,  the 


CHAPTER    XXV.  363 

communication  is  made  from  quite  a  Different  point. 
"The  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  Mount  Sinai." 
Now,  we  know  that  every  expression  in  Scripture 
has  its  own  special  meaning,  and  we  are  justified  in 
expecting  a  different  line  of  communication  from 
"Mount  Sinai"  from  that  which  reaches  us  from 
"the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation."  And  so  it 
is.  The  chapter  at  which  we  have  now  arrived  treats 
of  Jehovah's  claims  as  Lord  of  all  the  earth.  It  is 
not  the  worship  and  communion  of  a  priestly  house, 
or  the  internal  ordering  of  the  nation  ;  but  the  claims 
of  God  in  government,  His  right  to  give  a  certain 
portion  of  the  earth  to  a  certain  people  to  hold  as 
tenants  under  Him.  In  a  word,  it  is  not  to  Jehovah 
in  "  the  tabernacle  " — the  place  of  ivorship;  but  Je- 
hovah in  "Mount  Sinai" — the  place  of  government. 
"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  Mount  Sinai, 
saying,  'Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say 
unto  them,  When  ye  come  into  the  land  which  I  give 
you,  then  shall  the  land  keep  a  Sabbath  unto  the 
Lord.  Six  years  thou  shalt  sow  thy  field,  and  six 
years  thou  shalt  prune  thy  vineyard.  That  which 
groweth  of  its  own  accord  of  thy  harvest  thou  shalt 
not  reap,  neither  gather  the  grapes  of  thy  vine  un- 
dressed ;  for  it  is  a  year  of  rest  unto  the  land.  And 
the  Sabbath  of  the  land  shall  be  meat  for  }-ou  ;  for. 
thee,  and  for  thy  servant,  and  for  thy  maid,  and  for 
thy  hired  servant,  and  for  thy  stranger  that  sojourn- 
eth  with  thee,  and  for  thy  cattle,  and  for  the  beast 
that  are  in  thy  land,  shall  all  the  increase  thereof  be 
meat.'"  (Ver.  1-1.) 


364  LEVITICUS. 

Here,  then,  we  have  the  special  feature  of  the 
Lord's  land.  He  would  have  it  to  enjoy  a  sabbatic 
year,  and  in  that  j'ear  there  was  to  be  the  evidence 
of  the  rich  profusion  with  which  He  would  bless 
those  who  held  as  tenants  under  Him.  Happy, 
highly  privileged  tenantry !  What  an  honor  to  hold 
immediately  under  Jehovah!  No  rent!  no  taxes! 
no  burdens!  Well  might  it  be  said,  "Happy  is  the 
people  that  is  in  such  a  case  ;  }*ea,  happy  is  the  na- 
tion whose  God  is  Jehovah."  We  know,  alas  !  that 
Israel  failed  to  take  full  possession  of  that  wealthy 
land  of  which  Jehovah  made  them  a  present.  He 
had  given  it  all;  He  had  given  it  forever.  They 
took  but  «  part,  and  that  for  a  time.  Still,  there  it 
is.  The  property  is  there,  though  the  tenants  are 
ejected  for  the  present.  "The  land  shall  not  be  sold 
forever:  for  the  land  is  Mine;  for  ye  are  strangers 
and  sojourners  with  Me."  What  does  this  mean, 
but  that  Canaan  belongs  specially  to  Jehovah,  and 
that  He  will  hold  it  through  the  tribes  of  Israel  ? 
True,  "the  earth  is  the  Lord's,"  but  that  is  quite 
another  thing.  It  is  plain  that  He  has  been  pleased, 
for  His  own  unsearchable  purposes,  to  take  special 
possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  to  submit 
that  land  to  a  peculiar  line  of  treatment,  to  mark  it 
off  from  all  other  lands,  by  calling  it  His  own,  and 
to  distinguish  it  by  judgments  and  ordinances  and 
periodical  solemnities,  the  mere  contemplation  of 
which  enlightens  the  understanding  and  affects  the 
heart.  Where,  throughout  all  the  earth,  do  we  read 
of  a  land  enjoying  a  year  of  unbroken  repose  —  a 


CHAPTER   XXV.  365 

3*ear  of  richest  abundance  ?  The  rationalist  may 
ask,  How  can  these  things  be  ?  the  skeptic  may 
doubt  if  they  could  be  ;  but  faith  finds  a  satisfying 
answer  from  the  lips  of  Jehovah — "And  if  ye  shall 
say,  What  shall  we  eat  the  seventh  year?  behold,  we 
shall  not  sow,  nor  gather  in  our  increase :  then  I  will 
command  My  blessing  upon  3-011  in  the  sixth  }*ear, 
and  it  shall  bring  forth  fruit  for  three  j*ears.  And 
ye  shall  sow  the  eighth  }"ear,  and  eat  yet  of  old 
fruit  until  the  ninth  year ;  until  her  fruits  come  in 
ye  shall  eat  of  the  old  store."  ( Ver.  20-22. )  Nature 
might  say,  What  shall  we  do  for  our  solving?  God's 
answer  is,  "I  will  command  My  blessing."  God's 
"blessing"  is  better  far  than  man's  "sowing."  He 
was  not  going  to  let  them  starve  in  His  sabbatic 
year.  They  were  to  feed  upon  the  fruits  of  His 
blessing,  while  the}^  celebrated  His  year  of  rest — a 
3~ear  which  pointed  forward  to  that  eternal  Sabbath 
that  remains  for  the  people  of  God. 

"And  thou  shalt  number  seven  Sabbaths  of  3'ears 
unto  thee,  seven  times  seven  3'ears ;  and  the  space 
of  the  seven  Sabbaths  of  years  shall  be  unto  thce 
forty  and  nine  years.  Then  shalt  thou  cause  the 
trumpet  of  the  jubilee  to  sound  on  the  tenth  day  of 
the  seventh  month ;  in  the  day  of  atonement  shall 
3*e  make  the  trumpet  sound  throughout  all  your 
land."  (Ver.  8,  9.)  It  is  peculiarly  interesting  to 
note  the  various  methods  in  which  the  millennial  rest 
•was  held  up  to  view  in  the  Jewish  econom3T.  Every 
seventh  day  was  a  sabbatic  da3' ;  every  seventh  >-ear 
was  a  sabbatic  3'ear ;  and  every  seven  times  seven 


366  LEVITICUS. 

years  there  was  a  jubilee.  Each  and  all  of  these 
typical  solemnities  held  up  to  the  vision  of  faith  the 
blessed  prospect  of  a  time  when  labor  and  sorrow 
should  cease  ;  when  "the  sweat  of  the  brow"  would 
no  longer  be  needed  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hun- 
ger ;  but  when  a  millennial  earth,  enriched  by  the 
copious  showers  of  divine  grace,  and  fertilized  by 
the  bright  beams  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  should 
pour  its  abundance  into  the  storehouse  and  wine- 
press of  the  people  of  God.  Happy  time !  happy 
people !  How  blessed  to  be  assured  that  these  things 
are  not  the  pencilings  of  imagination  or  the  flights  of 
fancy,  but  the  substantial  verities  of  divine  revela- 
tion, to  be  enjoyed  by  faith,  which  is  uthe  sub- 
stance of  things  hoped  for,  the  conviction  of  things 
not  seen." 

Of  all  the  Jewish  solemnities  the  jubilee  would 
seem  to  have  been  the  most  soul-stirring  and  en- 
rapturing. It  stood  immediately  connected  with 
the  great  day  of  atonement.  It  was  when  the  blood 
of  the  victim  was  shed  that  the  emancipating  sound 
of  the  jubilee  trump  was  lizard  through  the  hills  and 
valleys  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  That  longed-for  note 
was  designed  to  wake  up  the  nation  from  the  very 
centre  of  its  moral  being — to  stir  the  deepest  depths 
of  the  soul,  and  to  send  a  shining  river  of  divine 
and  ineffable  joy  through  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land.  uln  the  day  of  atonement  shall  JQ  make 
the  trumpet  sound  throughout  all  your  land."  Not 
a  corner  was  to  remain  unvisited  by  "the  joyful 
sound."  The  aspect  of  the  jubilee  was  as  wide  as 


CHAPTER   XXV.  367 

the  aspect  of  the  atonement  on  which  the  jubilee 
was  based. 

44  And  ye  shall  hallow  the  fiftieth  year,  and  pro- 
claim liberty  throughout  all  the  land  unto  all  the 
inhabitants  thereof:  it  shall  be  a  jubilee  unto  you; 
and  ye  shall  return  every  man  unto  his  possession, 
and  ye  shall  return  every  man  unto  his  family.  A 
jul  ilee  shall  that  fiftieth  year  be  unto  you  :  ye  shall 
nc«,  sow,  neither  reap  that  which  groweth  of  itself 
ir  it,  nor  gather  the  grapes  in  it  of  thy  vine  un- 
di  ssed.  For  it  is  the  jubilee  ;  it  shall  be  holy  unto 
yoi  :  ye  shall  eat  the  increase  thereof  out  of  the 
field.  In  the  year  of  this  jubilee  j~e  shall  return 
every  man  unto  his  possession."  (Ver.  8-13.)  All 
estates  and  conditions  of  the  people  were  permitted 
to  feel  the  hallowed  and  refreshing  influence  of  this 
most  noble  institution.  The  exile  returned;  the 
captive  was  emancipated  ;  the  debtor  set  free ;  each 
family  opened  its  bosom  to  receive  once  more  its 
long-lost  members  ;  each  inheritance  received  back 
its  exiled  owner.  The  sound  of  the  trumpet  was 
the  welcome  and  soul-stirring  signal  for  the  captive 
to  escape,  for  the  slave  to  cast  aside  the  chains  of 
his  bondage,  for  the  man-slayer  to  return  to  his 
home,  for  the  ruined  and  poverty-stricken  to  rise  to 
the  possession  of  their  forfeited  inheritance.  No 
sooner  had  the  trumpet's  thrice -welcome  sound 
fallen  upon  the  ear  than  the  mighty  tide  of  bless- 
ing rose  majestically  and  sent  its  refreshing  undu- 
lations into  the  most  remote  corners  of  Jehovah's 
highly  favored  land. 
25 


368  LEVITICUS. 

"And  if  thou  sell  aught  unto  thy  neighbor,  or 
buyest  aught  of  thy  neighbor's  hand,  }~e  shall  not 
oppress  one  another:  according  to  the  number  of 
years  after  the  jubilee  thou  shalt  buy  of  thy  neigh- 
bor, and  according  unto  the  number  of  years  of  the 
fruits  he  shall  sell  unto  thee.  According  to  the  mul- 
titude of  }Tears  thou  shalt  increase  the  price  thereof, 
and  according  to  the  fewness  of  years  thou  shalt 
diminish  the  price  of  it ;  for  according  to  the  num- 
ber of  the  years  of  the  fruits  doth  he  sell  unto  thee. 
Ye  shall  not  therefore  oppress  one  another  ;  but  thou 
shalt  fear  thy  God  :  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God." 
(Ver.  14-17.)  The  year  of  jubilee  reminded  both 
buyer  and  seller  that  the  land  belonged  to  Jehovah 
and  was  not  to  be  sold.  "The  fruits"  might  be 
sold,  but  that  was  all :  Jehovah  could  never  give  up 
the  land  to  any  one.  It  is  important  to  get  this 
point  well  fixed  in  the  mind  ;  it  may  open  up  a  very 
extensive  line  of  truth.  If  the  land  of  Canaan  is 
not  to  be  sold — if  Jehovah  declares  it  to  be  His  for- 
ever, then  for  whom  does  He  want  it?  who  is  to  hold 
under  Him?  Those  to  whom  He  gave  it  by  an 
everlasting  covenant,  that  they  might  have  it  in  pos- 
session as  long  as  the  moon  endureth — even  to  all 
generations. 

There  is  no  spot  in  all  the  earth  like  unto  the  land 
of  Canaan  in  the  divine  estimation.  There  Jehovah 
set  up  His  throne  and  His  sanctuary;  there  His 
priests  stood  to  minister  continually  before  Him ; 
there  the  voices  of  His  prophets  were  heard  testify- 
ing of  present  ruin  and  future  restoration  and  glory ; 


CHAPTER    XXV.  369 

there  the  Baptist  began,  continued,  and  ended  his 
career  as  the  forerunner  of  the  Messiah ;  there  the 
blessed  One  was  born  of  a  woman  ;  there  He  was 
baptized  ;  there  He  preached  and  taught ;  there  He 
labored  and  died  ;  form  thence  He  ascended  in  tri- 
umph to  the  right  hand  of  God ;  thither  God  the 
Holy  Ghost  descended,  in  Pentecostal  power  ;  from, 
thence  the  overflowing  tide  of  gospel  testimony  em- 
anated to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  thither  the  Lord  of 
glory  will  descend  ere  long,  and  plant  His  foot  "on. 
the  Mount  of  Olives ;"  there  His  throne  will  be  re- 
established and  His  worship  restored.  In  a  word, 
His  eyes  and  His  heart  are  there  continually;  its 
dust  is  precious  in  His  sight ;  it  is  the  centre  of  all 
His  thoughts  and  operations  as  touching  this  earth ; 
and  it  is  His  purpose  to  make  it  an  eternal  excel- 
lency, the  joy  of  many  generations. 

It  is,  then,  I  repeat,  immensely  important  to  get 
a  firm  hold  of  this  interesting  line  of  truth  with  re- 
spect to  the  land  of  Canaan.  Of  that  land  Jehovah, 
hath  said,  "IT  IS  MINE."  Who  shall  take  it  from 
Him  ?  Where  is  the  king  or  the  emperor — where  the 
power,  human  or  diabolical,  that  can  wrest  "the 
pleasant  land"  out  of  Jehovah's  omnipotent  grasp? 
True,  it  has  been  a  bone  of  contention,  an  apple  of 
discord,  to  the  nations.  It  has  been,  and  it  will  yet 
be,  the  scene  and  centre  of  cruel  war  and  bloodshed. 
But  far  above  all  the  din  of  battle  and  the  strife  of 
nations,  these  words  fall  with  divine  clearness,  full- 
ness, and  power  upon  the  ear  of  faith:  "TAe  land  is 
Mine!"  Jehovah  can  never  give  up  that  laud,  nor 


370  LEVITICUS. 

those  "twelve  tribes"  through  whom  He  is  to  in- 
herit it  forever.  Let  my  reader  think  of  this;  let 
him  ponder  it  deeply ;  let  him  guard  against  all 
looseness  of  thought  and  vagueness  of  interpretation 
as  to  this  subject.  God  hath  not  cast  away  His  peo- 
ple, or  the  land  which  He  sware  to  give  unto  them 
for  an  everlasting  possession.  "The  twelve  loaves" 
of  Leviticus  xxiv.  bear  witness  to  the  former,  and 
"the  jubilee"  of  Leviticus  xxv.  bears  witness  to  the 
latter.  The  memorial  of  the  "twelve  tribes  of  Is- 
rael" is  ever  before  the  Lord,  and  the  moment  is 
rapidly  approaching  when  the  trump  of  jubilee  shall 
be  heard  upon  the  mountains  of  Pale^ine.  Then, 
in  reality,  the  captive  shall  cast  off  the  ignominious 
chain  which  for  ages  has  bound  him  ;  then  shall  the 
exile  return  to  that  happy  home  from  which  he  has 
so  long  been  banished  ;  then  shall  every  debt  be 
canceled,  every  burden  removed,  and  every  tear 
wiped  away.  "For  thus  saith  the  Lord,  'Behold,  I 
will  extend  peace  to  her  [Jerusalem]  like  a  river, 
and  the  glory  of  the  Gentiles  like  a  flowing  stream : 
then  shall  ye  suck,  ye  shall  be  borne  upon  her  sides, 
and  be  dandled  upon  her  knees.  As  one  whom  his 
mother  comforteth,  so  will  I  comfort  you;  and  ye 
shall  be  comforted  in  Jerusalem.  And  when  ye  see 
this,  your  heart  shall  rejoice,  and  your  bones  shall 
flourish  like  an  herb ;  and  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  known  toward  His  servants,  and  His  indig- 
nation toward  His  enemies.  For,  behold,  the  Lord 
will  come  with  fire,  and  with  His  chariots  like  a 
whirlwind,  to  render  His  anger  with  fury,  and  His 


CHAPTER    XXV.  371 

rebuke  with  flames  of  fire.  For  by  fire  and  by  His 
sword  will  the  Lord  plead  with  all  flesh :  and  the 

slain  of  the  Lord  shall   "be  many For  I 

know  their  works  and  their  thoughts  ;  it  shall  come 
that  I  will  gather  all  nations  and  tongues  ;  and  they 
shall  come  and  see  My  gloiy.  And  I  will  set  a  sign 
among  them,  and  I  will  send  those  that  escape  of 
them  unto  the  nations,  to  Tarshish,  Pul,  and  Lud, 
that  draw  the  bow,  to  Tubal  and  Javan,  to  the  isles 
afar  off,  that  have  not  heard  My  fame,  neither  have 
seen  My  glory ;  and  they  shall  declare  My  glory 
among  the  Gentiles.  And  they  shall  bring  all  your 
brethren  for  an  offering  unto  the  Lord,  out  of  all 
nations,  upon  horses,  and  in  chariots,  and  in  litters, 
and  upon  mules,  and  upon  swift  beasts,  to  My  holy 
mountain  Jerusalem,  saith  the  Lord,  as  the  children 
of  Israel  bring  an  offering  in  a  clean  vessel  into  the 
house  of  the  Lord.  And  I  will  also  take  of  them 
for  priests  and  for  Levites,  saith  the  Lord.  For  as 
the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will 
make,  shall  remain  before  Me,  saith  the  Lord,  so 
shall  your  seed  and  your  name  remain.  And  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  that  from  one  new  moon  to  another, 
and  from  one  Sabbath  to  another,  shall  all  flesh  come 
to  worship  before  Me,  saith  the  Lord.'"  (Isaiah 
Ixvi.  12-23.) 

And  now  let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  the  practical 
effect  of  the  jubilee — its  influence  upon  the  trans- 
actions between  man  and  man. — "And  if  thou  sell 
aught  unto  thy  neighbor,  or  buyest  aught  of  thy 
neighbor's  hand,  ye  shall  not  oppress  one  another. 


372  LEVITICUS. 

According  to  the  number  of  years  after  the  jubilee 
thou  shalt  buy  of  thy  neighbor,  and  according  to 
the  number  of  years  of  the  fruits  he  shall  sell  unto 
thee."  The  scale  of  prices  was  to  be  regulated  by 
the  jubilee.  If  that  glorious  event  were  at  hand, 
the  price  was  low ;  if  far  off,  the  price  was  high. 
All  human  compacts  as  to  land  were  broken  up  the 
moment  the  trump  of  jubilee  was  heard,  for  the  land 
was  Jehovah's ;  and  the  jubilee  brought  all  back  to 
its  normal  condition. 

• 

This  teaches  us  a  fine  lesson.  If  our  hearts  are 
cherishing  the  abiding  hope  of  the  Lord's  return,  we 
shall  set  light  by  all  earthly  things.  It  is  morally 
impossible  that  we  can  be  in  the  attitude  of  waiting 
for  the  Son  from  heaven,  and  not  be  detached  from 
this  present  world.  ' '  Let  your  moderation  be  known 
unto  all  men:  the  Lord  is  at  hand."  (Phil,  iv.)  A 
person  may  hold  "the  doctrine  of  the  millennium," 
as  it  is  called,  or  the  doctrine  of  "the  second  ad- 
vent," and  be  a  thorough  man  of  the  world  ;  but 
one  who  lives  in  the  habitual  expectation  of  Christ's 
appearing  must  be  separated  from  that  which  will 
be  judged  and  broken  up  when  He  comes.  It  is 
not  a  question  of  the  shortness  and  uncertainty  of 
human  life,  which  is  quite  true  ;  or  of  the  transitory 
and  unsatisfying  character  of  the  things  of  time, 
which  is  equally  true.  It  is  far  more  potent  and 
influential  than  either  or  both  of  these, — it  is  this : 
'"The Lord  is  at  hand."  May  our  hearts  be  affected 
and  our  conduct  in  all  things  influenced  by  this 
most  precious  and  sanctifying  truth. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THIS  chapter  requires  little  in  the  way  of  note  or 
exposition.  It  contains  a  most  solemn  and 
affecting  record  of  the  blessings  of  obedience  on  the 
one  hand,  and  the  terrible  consequences  of  disobe- 
dience on  the  other.  Had  Israel  walked  in  obedi- 
ence, they  would  have  been  invincible.  "I  will  give 
peace  in  the  land,  and  ye  shall  lie  down,  and  none 
shall  make  you  afraid  ;  and  I  Avill  rid  evil  beasts  out 
of  the  land,  neither  shall  the  sword  go  through  your 
land.  And  ye  shall  chase  your  enemies,  and  they 
shall  fall  before  3-011  by  the  sword.  And  five  of  you 
shall  chase  a  hundred,  and  a  hundred  of  you  shall 
put  ten  thousand  to  flight ;  and  your  enemies  shall 
fall  before  you  by  the  sword.  For  I  will  have  respect 
unto  you,  and  make  you  fruitful,  and  multiply  you, 
and  establish  My  covenant  with  3*011.  And  3*6  shall 
eat  old  store,  and  bring  forth  the  old  because  of  the 
new.  And  I  will  set  My  tabernacle  among  3*ou ; 
and  M3r  soul  shall  not  abhor  3*011.  And  I  will  walk 
among  you,  and  will  be  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be 
Mj*  people.  I  am  the  Lord  3*0111*  God,  which  brought 
3*ou  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  that  3*6  should 
not  be  their  bondsmen  ;  and  I  have  broken  the 
bands  of  3*our  3roke,  and  made  3*ou  go  upright." 
(Ver.  G-13.) 

The  presence  of  God  should  ever  have  been  their 
shield  and  buckler.      No  weapon  formed   against 


374  LEVITICUS. 

them  could  prosper.  But  then  the  divine  presence 
was  only  to  be  enjoyed  by  an  obedient  people.  Je- 
hovah could  not  sanction  by  His  presence  disobedi- 
ence or  wickedness.  The  uncircumcised  nations 
around  might  depend  upon  their  prowess  and  their 
military  resources :  Israel  had  only  the  arm  of  Je- 
hovah to  depend  upon,  and  that  arm  could  never  be 
stretched  forth  to  shield  unholiness  or  disobedience. 
Their  strength  was,  to  walk  with  God  in  a  spirit  of 
dependence  and  obedience.  So  long  as  they  walked 
thus,  there  was  a  wall  of  lire  round  about  them,  to 
protect  them  from  every  enemy  and  every  evil. 

But,  alas  !  Israel  failed  altogether.  Notwith- 
standing the  solemn  and  appalling  picture  placed 
before  their  eyes,  in  verses  14-33  of  this  chapter, 
they  forsook  the  Lord  and  served  other  gods,  and 
thus  brought  upon  themselves  the  sore  judgments 
threatened  in  this  section,  the  bare  record  of  which 
is  sufficient  to  make  the  ears  tingle.  Under  the 
heavy  weight  of  these  judgments  they  are  suffering 
at  this  very  hour.  Scattered  and  peeled,  wasted 
and  outcast,  they  are  the  monuments  of  Jehovah's 
inflexible  truth  and  justice.  They  read  aloud,  to 
nil  the  nations  of  the  earth,  a  most  impressive  lesson 
on  the  subject  of  the  moral  government  of  God — 
a  lesson  which  it  would  be  profitable  for  these 
nations 'to  study  deeply— yea,  and  a  lesson  which 
it  would  be  salutary  for  our  own  hearts  to  ponder 
likewise. 

We  are  very  prone  to  confound  two  things  which 
are  clearly  distinguished  in  the  Word,  namely, 


CHAPTER    XXVI.  375 

God's  government  and  God's  grace.  The  evils  which 
result  from  this  confusion  are  various.  It  is  sure  to 
lead  to  an  enfeebled  sense  of  the  dignity  and  solem- 
nity of  government,  and  of  the  purity,  fullness,  and 
elevation  of  grace.  It  is  quite  true  that  God  in 
government  reserves  to  Himself  the  sovereign  right 
to  act  in  patience,  long-suffering,  and  mercy ;  but 
the  exercise  of  these  attributes,  in  connection  with 
His  throne  of  government,  must  never  be  con- 
founded with  the  unconditional  actings  of  pure  and 
absolute  grace. 

The  chapter  before  us  is  a  record  of  divine  gov- 
ernment, and  yet,  in  it  we  find  such  clauses  as  the 
following:  ''If  they  shall  confess  their  iniquit}-,  and 
the  iniquity  of  their  fathers,  with  their  trespass  which 
they  trespassed  against  Me  ;  and  that  also  they  have 
walked  contrary  unto  Me,  and  that  I  also  have 
walked  contrary  unto  them,  and  have  brought  them 
into  the  land  of  their  enemies  ;  if  then  their  uncir- 
cumcised  hearts  be  humbled,  and  they  then  accept 
of  the  punishment  of  their  iniquity:  then  will  I 
remember  My  covenant  with  Jacob,  and  also  My 
covenant  with  Isaac,  and  also  My  covenant  with 
Abraham  will  I  remember ;  and  I  will  remember  the 
land.  The  land  also  shall  be  left  of  them,  and  shall 
enjoy  her  Sabbaths,  while  she  lieth  desolate  without 
them ;  and  they  shall  accept  of  the  punishment  of 
their  iniquity:  because,  even  because  they  despised 
My  judgments,  and  because  their  soul  abhorred  My 
statutes.  And  yet,  for  all  that,  when  they  be  in  the 
land  of  their  enemies,  JL  will  not  cast  them  away, 


37-6  LEVITICUS. 

neither  will  I  abhor  them,  to  destroy  them  utterly, 
and  to  break  My  covenant  with  them  ;  for  I  am  the 
Lord  their  God.  But  I  will  for  their  sakes  remem- 
ber the  covenant  of  their  ancestors,  whom  I  brought 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Eg}-pt  in  the  sight  of  the 
heathen,  that  I  might  be  their  God:  I  am  the 
Lord."  (Yer.  40-45.) 

Here  we  find  God  in  government,  meeting,  in 
long-suffering  merc}r,  the  very  earliest  and  faintest 
breathings  of  a  broken  and  penitent  spirit.  The 
history  of  the  judges  and  of  the  kings  presents 
many  instances  of  the  exercise  of  this  blessed  at- 
tribute of  the  divine  government.  Again  and  again 
the  soul  of  Jehovah  was  grieved  for  Israel  (Judges 
x.  16.),  and  He  sent  them  one  deliverer  after  an- 
other, until  at  length  there  remained  no  hope,  and 
the  righteous  claims  of  His  throne  demanded  their 
expulsion  from  that  land  which  they  were  wholly 
incompetent  to  keep. 

All  this  is  government.  But  by  and  lry,  Israel  will 
be  brought  into  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan 
on  the  ground  of  unqualified  and  unchangeable 
grace  —  grace  exercised  in  divine  righteousness, 
through  the  blood  of  the  cross.  It  will  not  be  by 
works  of  law,  nor  }~et  by  the  institutions  of  an 
evanescent  economy,  but  by  that  grace  which 
''reigns  through  righteousness,  by  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord."  Wherefore,  they  shall  never  again  be 
driven  forth  from  their  possession.  No  enemy  shall 
ever  molest  them.  They  shall  enjoy  undisturbed 
repose  behind  the  shield  of  Jehovah's  favor.  Their 


CHAPTER    XXVII.  377 

tenure  of  the  land  will  be  according  to  tlie  eternal 
stability  of  divine  grace  and  the  efficacy  of  the 
blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant.  "They  shall  be 
saved  in  the  Lord  with  an  everlasting  salvation." 

May  the  Spirit  of  God  lead  us  into  more  enlarged 
apprehensions  of  divine  truth,  and  endow  us  with  a 
greater  capacity  to  try  the  things  that  differ,  and 
rightly  to  divide  the  word  of  truth. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THIS  closing  section  of  our  book  treats  of  the 
"singular  vow,"  or  the  voluntary  act  whereby 
a  person  devoted  himself  or  his  property  unto  the 
Lord.  "And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saj'ing, 
'Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  a  man  shall  make  a  singular  vow,  the 
persons  shall  be  for  the  Lord  by  thy  estimation. 
And  thy  estimation  shall  be  ....  after  the  shekel 
of  the  sanctuaiy." 

Now,  in  the  case  of  a  person  devoting  himself  or 
his  beast,  his  house  or  his  field,  unto  the  Lord,  it 
was  obviously  a  question  of  capacity  or  worth  ;  and 
hence  there  was  a  certain  scale  of  valuation,  accord- 
ing to  age.  Moses,  as  the  representative  of  the 
claims  of  God,  was  called  upon  to  estimate,  in  each 
case,  according  to  the  standard  of  the  sanctuary. 
If  a  man  undertakes  to  make  a  vow,  he  must  be 
tried  by  the  standard  of  righteousness  ;  and,  more- 
over, in  all  cases,  we  are  called  upon  to  recognize 


378  LEVITICUS. 

the  difference  between  capacity  and  title.  In  Exodus 
xxx.  15,  we  read,  in  reference  to  the  atonement 
money,  "The  rich  shall  not  give  more,  and  the  poor 
shall  not  give  less,  than  half  a  shekel,  when  they 
give  an  offering  unto  the  Lord,  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  }Tour  souls."  In  the  matter  of  atonement, 
all  stood  upon  one  common  level.  Thus  it  must 
ever  be.  High  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  learned  and 
ignorant,  old  and  3"oung — all  have  one  common  title. 
"There  is  no  difference."  All  stand  alike  on  the 
ground  of  the  infinite  preciousness  of  the  blood  of 
Christ.  There  may  be  a  vast  difference  as  to  ca- 
pacity ;  as  to  title,  there  is  none :  there  may  be  a 
vast  difference  as  to  experience  ;  as  to  title,  there  is 
none :  there  may  be  a  vast  difference  as  to  knowl- 
edge, gift,  and  fruitfulness ;  as  to  title,  there  is 
none.  The  sapling  and  the  tree,  the  babe  and  the 
father,  the  convert  of  }'esterday  and  the  matured  be- 
liever, are  all  on  the  same  ground.  "The  rich  shall 
not  give  more,  and  the  poor  shall  not  giv^  less." 
Nothing  more  could  be  given  ;  nothing  less  could  be 
taken.  "We  have  boldness  to  enter  into  the  holi- 
est by  the  blood  of  Jesus."  This  is  our  title  to 
enter.  Our  capacity  to  worship,  when  we  have  en- 
tered, will  depend  upon  our  spiritual  energy.  Christ 
is  our  title :  the  Holy  Ghost  is  our  capacit}*.  Self 
has  nothing  to  do  with  either  the  one  or  the  other. 
What  a  mercy  !  We  get  in  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  ; 
we  enjoy  what  we  find  there  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  blood  of  Jesus  opens  the  door;  the  Holy  Ghost 
conducts  us  through  the  house  :  the  blood  of  Jesus 


CHAPTER   XXVII.  379 

opens  the  casket ;  the  Holy  Ghost  unfolds  the  pre- 
cious contents :  the  blood  of  Jesus  makes  the  casket 
ours ;  the  Holy  Ghost  enables  us  to  appreciate  its 
rare  and  costly  gems. 

But  in  Leviticus  xxvii,  it  is  entirely  a  question 
of  ability,  capacity,  or  worth.  Moses  had  a  cer- ' 
tain  standard,  from  which  he  could  not  possibly 
descend ;  he  had  a  certain  rule,  from  which  he 
could  not  possibly  swerve.  If  any  one  could  come 
up  to  that,  well ;  if  not,  he  had  to  take  his  place 
accordingly. 

What,  then,  was  to  be  done  in  reference  to  the 
person  who  was  unable  to  rise  to  the  height  of  the 
claims  set  forth  by  the  representative  of  divine 
righteousness ?  Hear  the  consolatory  answer — "But 
if  he  be  poorer  than  thy  estimation,  then  he  shall 
present  himself  before  the  priest,  and  the  priest  shall 
value  him  ;  according  to  his  ability  that  vowed  shall 
the  priest  value  him."  (Ver.  8.)  In  other  words,  if 
it  be  a  question  of  man's  undertaking  to  meet  the 
claims  of  righteousness,  then  he  must  meet  them ; 
but  if,  on  the  other  hand,  a  man  feels  himself  wholly 
unable  to  meet  those  claims,  he  has  only  to  fall  back 
upon  grace,  which  will  take  him  up  just  as  he  is. 
Moses  is  the  representative  of  the  claims  of  divine 
righteousness :  the  priest  is  the  exponent  of  the  pro- 
visions of  divine  grace.  The  poor  man  who  was  un- 
able to  stand  before  Moses,  fell  back  into  the  arms 
of  the  priest.  Thus  it  is  ever.  If  we  cannot  "dig," 
we  can  "beg;"  and  directly  we  take  the  place  of  a 
beggar,  it  is  no  longer  a  question  of  what  we  are 


380  LEVITICUS. 

able  to  earn,  but  of  what  God  is  pleased  to  give. 

"Grace  all  the  work  shall  crown 
Through  everlasting  days." 

How  happy  it  is  to  be  debtors  to  grace !  how  happy 
to  take,  when  God  is  glorified  in  giving  !  When 
man  is  in  question,  it  is  infinitely  better  to  dig  than 
to  beg ;  but  when  God  is  in  question,  the  case  is  the 
very  reverse. 

I  would  just  add  that  I  believe  this  entire  chapter 
bears,  in  an  especial  manner,  upon  the  nation  of 
Israel.  It  is  intimately  connected  with  the  two  pre- 
ceding chapters.  Israel  made  "a  singular  vow" 
at  the  foot  of  Mount  Horeb ;  but  they  were  quite 
unable  to  meet  the  claims  of  law — they  were  far 
"poorer  than  Moses'  estimation."  But,  blessed  be 
God,  they  will  come  in  under  the  rich  provisions 
of  divine  grace.  Having  learnt  their  total  inability 
"to  dig,"  they  will  not  be  "ashamed  to  beg;"  and 
hence  they  shall  experience  the  deep  blessedness  of 
being  cast  upon  the  sovereign  mercy  of  Jehovah, 
which  stretches,  like  a  golden  chain,  "from  ever- 
lasting to  everlasting."  It  is  well  to  be  poor,  when 
the  knowledge  of  our  poverty  serves  but  to  unfold 
to  us  the  exhaustless  riches  of  divine  grace.  That 
grace  can  never  suffer  any  one  to  go  empty  away. 
It  can  never  tell  any  one  that  he  is  too  poor.  It  can 
meet  the  very  deepest  human  need ;  and  not  only 
so,  but  it  is  glorified  in  meeting  it.  This  holds 
good  in  every  case.  It  is  true  of  any  individual 
sinner,  and  it  is  true  with  respect  to  Israel,  who, 
having  been  valued  by  the  lawgiver,  have  proved 


CHAPTER    XXVIL  381 

"poorer  than  his  estimation."  Grace  is  the  grand 
and  only  resource  for  all.  It  is  the  basis  of  our  sal- 
vation, the  basis  of  a  life  of  practical  godliness,  and 
the  basis  of  those  imperishable  hopes  which  animate 
us  amid  the  trials  and  conflicts  of  this  sin-stricken 
world.  May  we  cherish  a  deeper  sense  of  grace, 
and  more  ardent  desire  for  the  glory. 

We  shall  here  close  our  meditations  upon  this  most 
profound  and  precious  book.  If  the  foregoing  pages 
should  be  used  of  God  to  awaken  an  interest  in  a 
section  of  inspiration  which  has  been  so  much  neg- 
lected by  the  Church  in  all  ages,  they  shall  not  have 
been  written  in  vain. 

C.  II.  M. 


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